K. Pitchandi
K. Pitchandi, also known as K. Pichandi, is an Indian politician and the 14th & current Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly since 2021. A. K. Aranganathan only defeated K. Pitchandi in 2011. Pitchandi continues to be the speaker. His record was broken in 2011 - 2016.
Politics
Pitchandi was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Tiruvannamalai constituency as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate in the 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2006 elections. He also contested the constituency in the 1991 elections, when he finished as runner-up to V. Kannan of the Indian National Congress.Pitchandi was the Minister for Housing and Urban Development in the Tamil Nadu Cabinet from 1996 to 2001. He stood as a candidate in 2011 in the Kilpennathur constituency, where he finished as runner-up to A. K. Aranganathan of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party.
Pitchandi remained loyal to the DMK party, for which he was rewarded with the mostly honorific position of deputy whip in May 2016. 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.
Pitchandi was instrumental in persuading E. V. Velu to transfer his allegiance to the DMK from the AIADMK. Velu, who had already served twice as an AIADMK MLA, was elected to Pitchandi's former seat in Tiruvannamalai as a DMK member from 2011.
In 2021 he was the pro tem Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.