Ok. Deivasigamani was a university instructor educating historical past in Kumbakonam, Villupuram and Gudiyatham authorities faculties for 18 years earlier than rising as Ok. Ponmudy, a DMK strongman in Villupuram district and one of many highly effective Ministers within the DMK Cupboards since 1989. In DMK circles and within the Dravidar Kazhagam, he had made his presence felt as a platform speaker, rechristening himself with a Tamil title: Ponmudy. Even in 1989, when he grew to become the Minister for Well being within the DMK authorities, which was elected to energy after a niche of 13 years, he was often known as Ok. Deivasigamani alias Ponmudy. Subsequently, he simply retained the title Ponmudy.
“He was very active in the students’ wing of the DMK in Annamalai University in Chidambaram. After N. Natarajan, the husband of Sasikalaa, he became the secretary of the students’ unit,” mentioned an in depth affiliate of Mr. Ponmudy. When late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi contested from the Saidapet Meeting constituency within the 1967 elections, Mr. Ponmudy visited the constituency and took energetic half within the marketing campaign. The election proved to be the turning level within the political historical past of Tamil Nadu because the DMK was elected to energy.
Born to high school instructor dad and mom in 1950 in T. Edayar in Villupuram district, Mr. Ponmudy was ideologically very near the Dravidar Kazhagam and was a member of State vice-president of the Pakutharivarlar Kazhagam. The federal government guidelines at the moment didn’t forestall anybody from changing into a member of Pakuthrivalar Kazhagam, although it was in opposition to becoming a member of a political social gathering. His doctoral thesis is a comparative research of Black Motion within the U.S. and the Dravidian Motion in Tamil Nadu.
Though he sought tickets to contest from Thirunavalur Meeting constituency in 1980 and 1984 elections, he succeeded solely in 1989. “The then district secretary Ginjee Ramachandram was not in favour of allotting the Villupuram Assembly constituency seat to K.P. Palaniappan, a party lawyer and a former MLA. The seat went to Mr. Ponmudy and from then, his growth became unstoppable since he adapted himself to the changing political atmosphere,” mentioned his affiliate.
Mr. Ponmudy was inducted into the Cupboard headed by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, and because the Well being Minister, he grew to become fashionable as he was the one Minister for Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Cuddalore districts. Although the federal government stayed in workplace for only one and a half years earlier than falling sufferer to the Article 359 of the Structure in 1991, the following developments additionally strengthened his standing within the social gathering.
“After Mr. Vaiko was expelled from the DMK, Mr. Gingee Ramachandran left with him, leaving the space for Mr. Ponmudy to dominate. Villupuram became synonymous with him in the DMK hierarchy. It continued till the party district units were bifurcated and trifurcated to clip the wings and powers of district secretaries,” a celebration supply mentioned.
He held the portfolio of transport within the DMK authorities between 1996 and 2001. After the DMK got here to energy in 2006, he was Minister of Larger Training and Mines and Minerals. Mr. Ponmudy modified his constituency from Villupuram, which elected him 4 occasions, to Tirukovilur in 2016, after he misplaced the seat to AIADMK heavyweight C.Ve. Shanmugam. Subsequently, he gained from there within the 2016 and 2021 Meeting elections.
Recognized for his abrasive language in public platforms, Mr. Ponmudy’s act of gesticulating at Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, when he staged a walkout from the Meeting went viral on social media platforms.
His son and orthopaedician Gautham Sigamani was given a ticket to contest from the Kallakurichi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Each father and son have been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in a cash laundering case earlier this yr. His youthful son Ashok Sigamani is a paediatrician and president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Affiliation (TNCA).