P. Dhanapal

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. 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 (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. 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