K. Pitchandi

K. Pitchandi
Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
12 May 2021 – 5 May 2026
SpeakerM. Appavu
Chief MinisterMK Stalin
Dy Chief MinisterUdhayanidhi Stalin
Preceded byPollachi V. Jayaraman
Succeeded byM. Ravisankar
Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Government of Tamil Nadu
In office
13 May 1996 – 13 May 2001
Chief MinisterM. Karunanidhi
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
19 May 2016 – 5 May 2026
Preceded byA. K. Aranganathan
Succeeded byS. Ramachandran
ConstituencyKilpennathur
In office
10 May 1996 – 14 May 2011
Preceded byV. Kannan
Succeeded byE. V. Velu
ConstituencyTiruvannamalai
In office
6 February 1989 – 30 January 1991
Preceded byA. S. Ravindran
Succeeded byV. Kannan
ConstituencyTiruvannamalai
Personal details
Born
PartyDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (1989 - Present)
RelationsMayilsamy (brother-in-law)
Arumainayagam Mayilsamy alias Anbu (son-in-law)
OccupationPolitician

K. Pitchandi, also known as K. Pichandi, is an Indian politician and the 14th & served as Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 2021 till 2026.[1][2] A. K. Aranganathan only defeated K. Pitchandi in 2011 and 2026. Pitchandi continues to be the speaker. His record was broken in 2011 - 2016 and 2026-2031.[3]

Politics

Pitchandi was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Tiruvannamalai constituency as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate in the 1989,[4] 1996,[5] 2001[6] and 2006 elections.[7] He also contested the constituency in the 1991 elections, when he finished as runner-up to V. Kannan of the Indian National Congress.[8]

Pitchandi was the Minister for Housing and Urban Development in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet from 1996 to 2001.[9] He stood as a candidate in 2011 in the Kilpennathur constituency,[10] where he finished as runner-up to A. K. Aranganathan of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party.[11]

Pitchandi remained loyal to the DMK party, for which he was rewarded with the mostly honorific position of deputy whip in May 2016.[9] He had won the Kilpennathur seat in the elections of 2021 to become MLA once again, after which he was made the Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.[12]

Pitchandi was instrumental in persuading E. V. Velu to transfer his allegiance to the DMK from the AIADMK.[9] Velu, who had already served twice as an AIADMK MLA,[13][14] was elected to Pitchandi's former seat in Tiruvannamalai as a DMK member from 2011.[15]

In 2021 he was the pro tem Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

He stood as a candidate in 2026 in the Kilpennathur constituency, where he lost to S. Ramachandran of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party.

Personal life

On 13 September 2019, his daughter Aishwarya married Arumainayagam (alias Anbu), the son of late Tamil actor Mayilsamy.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Appavu, Pitchandi, elected Speaker and Dy Speaker unanimously for TN Assembly". The New Indian Express. 13 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "Newly elected MLAs to take oath on May 11; K Pitchandi .appointed pro-tem Speaker". Julie Mariappan. The Times of India. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "Pichandi gets recognition". The Hindu. 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  4. ↑ 1989 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India
  5. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election 1996 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 6. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  6. ↑ 2001 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India
  7. ↑ 2006 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India
  8. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election 1991 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 268. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Balasubramaniyan, A. D. (25 May 2016). "Pichandi gets recognition". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "E. V. Velu, K. Pichandi file nomination papers in Tiruvannamalai". The Hindu. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  11. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election 2011 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 285. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  12. ↑ "15th Assembly Members". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election 2001 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 6. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  14. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election 2006 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 6. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  15. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election 2011 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Election Commission of Indian government. p. 10. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  16. ↑ vinothkumar. "திமுக எம்எல்ஏ வீட்டு திருமணத்தில் ரஜினிக்கு ராஜ மரியாதை!". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Tamil). Retrieved 19 February 2023.