In 1949, C. N. Annadurai formed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and Nedunchezhiyen joined the party, acting as deputy general secretary until 1955.

[2] Together with K. Rajaram, Nedunchezhiyan left the DMK to form a new political party called the Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, but it did not last long.

Nedunchezhiyan briefly aligned himself with the J. Jayalalithaa-led faction within the AIADMK but was expelled from the party in 1988 after disputes with its leaders.

He contested the 1989 state elections and later that year rejoined the party fold after Jayalalithaa had successfully reunified it.

At that time, AIADMK General Secretary Jayalalithaa sent a letter to Karunanidhi, who was the Chief Minister, requesting a burial site to bury Nedunchezhiyan next to Anna.