Parthi Kandavel is a Canadian teacher and politician who represents Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest on Toronto City Council. He was elected during a by-election on November 30, 2023.
Background Prior to entering politics, Kandavel worked as a grade 6 school teacher in the Sathya Sai School of Toronto, Canada. His wife, Anu Sriskandarajah, is a TDSB trustee and ran for council in 2025 in Ward 25, losing to Neethan Shan.
Political career Kandavel served as a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee for two terms from 2014 to 2022. He ran in the 2022 municipal election, finishing second place to Gary Crawford. Kandavel was elected to the seat in a 2023 by-election triggered by the resignation of Crawford.
Described as a "progressive", Kandavel ran on a platform of increasing daycare spaces, building road safety infrastructure and reducing inequality. He defines his political ideology as "sensible solutions that address inequity". Following his election, Kandavel met with Mayor Olivia Chow, who highlighted their shared commitment to affordable housing and child care.
In February 2026, he was named as a possible candidate in the 2026 Scarborough Southwest provincial by-election. Later, he announced he would run again for office in the regular 2026 Scarborough Southwest city council election. City Hall reporter Matt Elliot listed the election as one of the most "high attention" elections to watch in Toronto, based on the low vote share received by the incumbent in the previous election and the population growth in the ward since the previous election, which exceeds the thin vote margin Kandavel won by in 2023.
Ontario Provincial Police Investigation On May 10, 2026, Kandavel announced that he was the subject of an Ontario Provincial Police investigation, that he was surprised by the investigation, and would address any allegations. On May 13, 2026, the Toronto Star reported that multiple sources alleged that Kandavel requested money from developers as a condition for his support for their projects proceeding. Following the publication of these allegations, further reporting indicated that two individuals came to the Star separately with allegations that Kandavel had requested them to transfer six-figure payments to third parties while developments they were connected to were proceeding through the approval process for the City of Toronto. At a May 28 Scarborough Community Council meeting, Kandavel recused himself from any decisions on zoning bylaw approvals in his ward due to the ongoing investigation against him.
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