V. R. Nedunchezhiyan

V. R. Nedunchezhiyan (11 July 1920 – 12 January 2000) was an Indian politician and writer. He served thrice as the acting Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He was also finance minister under the governments of C. N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa. For his literary contributions, he was also known as "Navalar" or the eloquent.
Life and career.
Nedunchezhiyan was born at Thirukannapuram on 11 July 1920. He was graduated with a master's degree and a doctorate in Tamil literature from Annamalai University. He became involved in politics while at the university and joined the Dravidar Kazhagam party in 1944. In 1949, he and C. N. Annadurai formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with the latter as leader and Nedunchezhiyan acting as deputy general secretary until 1955. He was general secretary between 1955 and 1961 and then chairman of the party's general council until 1969. 
He died of heart failure in hospital on 12 January 2000. He was married to Visalakshi, with whom he had a son.
Legislative election history.
Nedunchezhiyan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu in 1962 and in 1967 became a cabinet minister when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam took power. He was briefly acting Chief Minister for the state following C. N. Annadurai's death in 1969, taking the role until M. Karunanidhi was appointed. He then continued as a cabinet minister in the Karunanidhi cabinet until the DMK lost power in 1976.
Together with Sathyavani Muthu, Nedunchezhiyan left the DMK to form a new political party called the "Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam" but this did not last long. The party merged with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which was by then in government, in 1978 and from 1980 Nedunchezhiyan was again a cabinet minister, this time under the leadership of AIADMK's M. G. Ramachandran. He held the position of Finance Minister from 1980 to 1987 and once again became acting Chief Minister in the latter year when Ramachandran died. He was a candidate in the subsequent leadership election but lost to Ramachandran's wife, Janaki Ramachandran.
Nedunchezhiyan briefly aligned himself with the J. Jayalalithaa-led group within the AIADMK but was expelled from the party in 1988 after disputes with its leaders. He stood in the 1989 state elections and later that year returned to the party fold after Jayalalithaa had successfully reunified it. He remained loyal to her thereafter and served as Finance Minister again between 1991 and 1996.
He served as the acting chief minister of Tamil Nadu from 4 February 1969 to 9 February 1969, then for the second time from 16 November 1984 to 9 February 1985, and for the third and last time from 25 December 1987 to 6 January 1988.
Books published.
Name of the book with year of publication.