Karunanidhi family
| Karunanidhi family | |
|---|---|
| Current region | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Members | M. Karunanidhi M. K. Muthu M. K. Alagiri M. K. Stalin Kanimozhi Karunanidhi Murasoli Maran Murasoli Selvam Kalanidhi Maran Dayanidhi Maran Udhayanidhi Stalin Dayanidhi Azhagiri Arulnidhi Tamilarasu Kaviya Maran Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi Sabareesan Vedamurthy |
| Estate | Gopalapuram, Chennai |
The Karunanidhi family is an Indian family that has had considerable influence on the politics and cinema of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The most well-known member of the family was M. Karunanidhi, who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five terms and was the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a prominent political party in the state, from 1969 to 2018. The family traces its roots to Thiruvarur in Central Tamil Nadu, and later settled in the state capital of Chennai.
Karunanidhi married thrice, and had four sons and two daughters. His eldest son M. K. Muthu was an actor in the Tamil film industry. His second son M. K. Alagiri served as a union minister in the Second Manmohan Singh ministry from 2009 to 2013. His youngest son, M. K. Stalin, is the incumbent chief minister of Tamil Nadu. His youngest daughter, Kanimozhi, is a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. His grandsons include Udhayanidhi Stalin, Dayanidhi Azhagiri, and Arulnidhi Tamilarasu, who are all involved in Tamil cinema. Udhayanidhi also serves as the deputy chief minister of the state.
His extend family includes Murasoli Maran, who was married to Shanmugasundari, the elder sister of Karunanidhi. Maran served as a member of the Parliament for 36 years, and held various ministerial positions during his tenure. His younger brother, Murasoli Selvam, was a journalist, and married Karunanidhi's elder daughter Selvi. Maran's sons include, Kalanidhi Maran, the founder of the media conglomerate Sun Group, and Dayanidhi Maran, who is a member of parliament and has previously served as a cabinet minister.
The significant presence of Karunanidhi's family members in the central and state governments has led to accusations of political nepotism. Two members of the family, Kanimozhi and Dayanidhi Maran, were charged by the Central Bureau of Investigation, for their alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum case, from which they were later acquitted by the Delhi High Court. The later generations of the family has faced criticism for allegedly using political influence to gain advantages in the Tamil film industry.