Veteran Dravidian ideologue L Ganesan passes away at 92
04 Jan 2026

L Ganesan, a prominent figure in Tamil Nadu's Dravidian politics, died on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at the age of 92. He passed away at his residence in Thanjavur due to age-related health issues.

Ganesan was born in 1934 in Kannathankudi village and was inspired by the Tamil linguistic struggle movement during his law college days.

He joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party founded by C N Annadurai and actively participated in anti-Hindi imposition protests in the 1960s.

Ganesan's political journey and contributions
Political career

Ganesan was also imprisoned under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency.

He served as a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council and was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly twice from the Orathanadu Assembly Segment in 1971 and 1989.

After leaving DMK, he co-founded Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) with Vaiko.

Ganesan's expulsion from MDMK and return to DMK
Party dynamics

Ganesan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tiruchi on an MDMK ticket in 2004.

However, he was expelled from MDMK in 2008 for defying the party whip during a trust motion moved by Manmohan Singh's government at the Center.

He later rejoined DMK, where he was affectionately called "Mozhipor Thalapathy" (Commander of Language Struggle) by his supporters.

Ganesan is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.