Chennai, Sep 15 - The grand success of the DMK in the 1967 Tamil Nadu state election is because its founder leader C.N. Annadurai based his political philosophy on the needs and aspirations of the downtrodden, said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday.

Speaking at the Anna Centenary celebrations here after releasing a Rs.5 coin with an embossed image of Anna, Mukherjee said: 'In 1967 the DMK won a massive mandate in Tamil Nadu and the Congress lost what was considered a natural right to rule at the centre and at the state.

'Though the Congress was defeated in nine states (then), it was only in Tamil Nadu the party was defeated by a single party. In other states there was a coalition of opposition parties,' he recalled.

Paying his tributes to the late Annadurai, he said: 'To Indian polity he is one of the great contributors. He championed the self-respect movement, rationalism and is the key proponent for social and political renaissance in Tamil Nadu.'

Speaking on the occasion, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said the DMK was never against Hindi 'but only opposed compulsory imposition of the language.

'There is still compulsory imposition of Hindu which has to stop.'