She was a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and was elected from the Thiruverumbur Constituency to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989.

Her mother, Lakshmi, alias Alamelu, moved to Golden Rock, Tiruchirappalli after her husband's death.

[1] Dhanalakshmi joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1945 and moved to Madras (now Chennai).

[1] Pappa was not allowed by the jail authorities to attend her mother's funeral, as she refused to quit the party.

[1] She contested the 1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Thiruverumbur Constituency, but lost.