Kumaraswami Kamaraj: The ‘kingmaker’ of Indian politics

Born on 15 July 1903, Kumaraswami Kamaraj was involved in the Indian Independence Movement and later became a prominent leader of Indian National Congress. Considered as the Kingmaker in Indian politics, Kumaraswami Kamaraj elevated Lal Bahadur Shastri as the prime minister of India post the death of Jawaharlal Nehru. He was the third chief minister of Tamil Nadu (then Madras State) during 1954-1963. K Kamaraj, known for his simplicity, was a Member of Parliament during 1952–1954 and 1967–1975. Kumaraswami Kamaraj was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, posthumously in 1976.