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.1977 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India1980 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India1984 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India2001 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India In the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections he won from Rasipuram and Avanashi constituencies, respectively.
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.
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 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. He was elected member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for 7 terms.
He was elected Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly for two consecutive terms in 2012-16 and 2016–21. 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.
In popular culture Maamannan (2023) by Mari Selvaraj is partly based on his real life story. Actor Vadivelu played Maamannan (Dhanapal).
Electoral career Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly elections contested ElectionsConstituencyPartyResultVote percentageOpposition candidateOpposition partyOpposition vote percentage1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMK53.27M. ParamanandamDMK19.101980 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMK56.61R. VaradarajanDMK41.041984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMK56.99S. MurugesanDMK40.981989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMK(J)34.15R. VaradarajanDMK41.722001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionSangagiriAIADMK56.41T. R. SaravananDMK38.002011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionRasipuramAIADMK55.60V. P. DuraisamyDMK40.362016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionAvanashiAIADMK48.11Anandhan EDMK32.312021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly electionAvanashiAIADMK55.78Athiyamaan RajuDMK31.57
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