Maniammai

Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy Maniammai (10 March 1920 – 16 March 1978), commonly known as Annai, was an Indian social activist and politician. She was the second wife married by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy when she was 31 years old and he was 72 years old. She succeeded him as the president of the Dravidar Kazhagam upon his death in 1973.

Maniammai was born as Gandhimathi to Kanagasabai Mudaliar,who was a party member of the Justice Party. Soon after her father's death, she joined the Dravidar Kazhagam founded by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in 1942–43. Periyar later married her, Sources close to Periyar had indicated that Maniyammai, being a woman, could not be named his heir, and therefore he took to the legal recourse of marrying her so that she could become his legal heir With a much younger Maniammai and his appointment of her as his successor shocked many of his party leaders.