P. Dhanapal

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P. Dhanapal
13th Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
10 October 2012 – 6 May 2021
DeputyPollachi V. Jayaraman
Preceded byD. Jayakumar
Succeeded byM. Appavu
ConstituencyAvanashi (2016-2021)
Rasipuram (2011–2016)
Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
27 May 2011 – 9 October 2012
Preceded byV. P. Duraisamy
Succeeded byPollachi V. Jayaraman
ConstituencyRasipuram
Minister for Food and Co-operation
In office
22 May 2001 – 9 November 2002
Chief Minister
J.Jayalalithaa
O. Panneerselvam
J.Jayalalithaa
Preceded byNatham R. Viswanathan
Succeeded byP. Mohan
Minister for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare
In office
14 May 2001 – 22 May 2001
Chief Minister
J.Jayalalithaa
Preceded byS. Selvaraj
Succeeded byV. Subramanian
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
16 May 2016 – 6 May 2026
Preceded byA. A. Karuppasamy
Succeeded byKamali. S.
ConstituencyAvanashi
In office
13 May 2011 — 19 May 2016
Preceded byK. P. Ramaswamy
Succeeded byV. Saroja
ConstituencyRasipuram
In office
13 May 2001 — 11 May 2006
Preceded byV. Muthu
Succeeded byV. P. Duraisamy
In office
1977–1989
Preceded byV. Muthur
Succeeded byR. Varadarajan
ConstituencySankagiri
Personal details
Born (1951-05-16) 16 May 1951
Karuppur, Salem district, Tamil Nadu
PartyAIADMK (until 2026)
ChildrenLogesh Tamilselvan

P. Dhanapal (born 16 May 1951) is an Indian politician and a former Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, who served from 2012 to 2021.

Dhanapal was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly as an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate from Sankagiri constituency in the 1977, 1980 and 1984 and 2001 elections.[1][2][3][4] In the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections he won from Rasipuram[5] and Avanashi constituencies, respectively.[6]

Personal life

P. Dhanapal was born on 16 May 1951 in Karupur. He belongs to the Arunthathiyar community, which is recognized as a Scheduled Caste in India. He obtained a master's degree and is married with two children.[7]

In 2026, His son Logesh Tamilselvan was elected as Rasipuram MLA representing Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and got inducted to Chief Minister Vijay's cabinet as a Minister of Commercial Taxes, Registration and Stamp Law.

Political career

Dhanapal (right) as deputy speaker with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Speaker D. Jayakumar in 2012

Dhanapal was one of the 33 AIADMK MLAs who sided with the Jayalalithaa faction following the death of M. G. Ramachandran in 1987, along with K. A. Sengottaiyan and S. Thirunavukkarasar.[8] He was elected member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for 7 terms.[9]

He was elected Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly for two consecutive terms in 2012-16 and 2016–21.[10] On 21 May 2026, after attending the swearing-in ceremony of his son, Logesh, as a minister in Vijay's cabinet, Dhanapal announced that he had already quit AIADMK, stating that he had not been given “importance” by the party leadership.[11]

Electoral career

Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly elections contested

Elections Constituency Party Result Vote percentage Opposition candidate Opposition party Opposition vote percentage
1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMKWon53.27M. ParamanandamDMK19.10
1980 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMKWon56.61R. VaradarajanDMK41.04
1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMKWon56.99S. MurugesanDMK40.98
1989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMK(J)Lost34.15R. VaradarajanDMK41.72
2001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMKWon56.41T. R. SaravananDMK38.00
2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionRasipuramAIADMKWon55.60V. P. DuraisamyDMK40.36
2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionAvanashiAIADMKWon48.11Anandhan EDMK32.31
2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionAvanashiAIADMKWon55.78Athiyamaan RajuDMK31.57

References