{{short description|Indian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Raja Kannappan | image = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Adhappadaiki, Tamil Nadu, India | office = Minister for Forests and Khadi | term_start = 27 April 2025 | term_end = 5 May 2026 | 1blankname = Chief Minister | 1namedata = M. K. Stalin | predecessor = K. Ponmudy | successor = | office1 = Minister for Milk and Dairy Development | term_start1 = 28 September 2024 | term_end1 = 27 April 2025 | 1blankname1 = Chief Minister | 1namedata1 = M. K. Stalin | predecessor1 = Mano Thangaraj | successor1 = Mano Thangaraj | office2 = Minister for Higher Education | term_start2 = 21 December 2023 | term_end2 = 22 March 2024 | 1blankname2 = Chief Minister | 1namedata2 = M. K. Stalin | predecessor2 = K. Ponmudy | successor2 = K. Ponmudy | office3 = Minister of Backward Classes Welfare | term_start3 = 29 March 2022 | term_end3 = 28 September 2024 | predecessor3 = S. S. Sivasankar | successor3 = Meyyanathan Siva V | office4 = Minister of Transport | term_start4 = 7 May 2021 | term_end4 = 29 March 2022 | 1blankname4 = Chief Minister | 1namedata4 = M. K. Stalin | predecessor4 = M. R. Vijayabhaskar | successor4 = S. S. Sivasankar | office5 = Minister of Public Works, Highways and Electricity | term_start5 = 24 June 1991 | term_end5 = 12 May 1996 | 1blankname5 = Chief Minister | 1namedata5 = J. Jayalalithaa | office6 = Member of Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu | predecessor6 = S. Pandi | successor6 = | party = DMK | constituency6 = Mudukulathur constituency | term_start6 = 12 May 2021 | term_end6 = | constituency7 = Tiruppattur constituency | term_start7 = 20 June 1991 | term_end7 = 10 May 1996 | constituency8 = Ilayankudi constituency | term_start8 = 11 May 2006 | term_end8 = 28 February 2009 | occupation = Politics & Agriculture | spouse = | children = | parents = Sellam }}
'''R. S. Raja Kannappan''', formerly known as '''S. Kannappan''', is an Indian politician and Minister for Backward Classes Welfare and Higher Education.<ref>{{Cite news|date=21 December 2023|title=Tamil Nadu Minister Rajakannappan Given Higher Education Portfolio After Ponmudi's Conviction|work=abplive|url=https://news.abplive.com/tamil-nadu/rajakannappan-ponmudy-tamil-nadu-minister-given-higher-education-portfolio-after-ponmudi-s-conviction-1651489|access-date=21 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Council of Ministers {{!}} Tamil Nadu Government Portal |url=https://www.tn.gov.in/ministerslist |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=www.tn.gov.in}}</ref> He also served as the Minister for Khadi and Village Industries from 2022 to 2023, Minister of Transport, Nationalised Transport, Motor Vehicles Act in the period 2021- March 2022 and also former Minister of Public Works, Highways and Electricity during 1991–1996. He joined the party DMK in February 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 7, 2020|title=Ex-AIADMK minister R S Raja Kannappan to rejoin DMK|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/ex-aiadmk-min-raja-kannappan-to-rejoin-dmk/articleshow/73994083.cms|access-date=2020-12-24|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>
==Political career==
He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) candidate from Tiruppattur (194) constituency in 1991 election.<ref name="autogenerated1991"/> He served as minister of Public Works during 1991–1996. He later founded the Makkal Tamil Desam (MTD) party.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news |date=16 June 2005 |title=Kannappan charge sheeted |first=K. T. |last=Sangameswaran |url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/16/stories/2005061604420600.htm |work=The Hindu |accessdate=2017-05-17}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
The MTD contested the 2001 election as a junior partner in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led front. In 2006, Kannappan dissolved his party and joined the DMK. He contested and won the 2006 election from the Ilaiyangudi constituency as a DMK candidate. In February 2009 he resigned from DMK and as an MLA. He joined the ADMK and contested the 2009 Indian general elections from the Sivaganga parliamentary constituency. He was defeated by the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate P. Chidambaram in a close election.<ref>[http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Raja+Kannappan+hits+out+at+CM&artid=SmAqLWerBHg=&SectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EL7znOtxBM3qzgMyXZKtxw==&SEO= Raja Kannappan hits out at CM]</ref><ref>{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20091202050213/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/02/28/stories/2009022853670400.htm Rajakannappan joins AIADMK]}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090520162605/http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/17/stories/2009051754730400.htm Chidambaram declared winner after 21 rounds of counting]</ref>
Kannappan claimed that the BJP is attempting to saffronise the southern districts and polarise the voters on religious lines. He blamed the AIADMK leadership for aiding this situation. He then quit the AIADMK and decided to support the DMK-led front in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Revanna|first=Ananya|date=2019-03-22|title=BJP candidate list for TN shows party betting big on caste, religion|url=https://thefederal.com/elections-2019/bjp-relies-on-caste-and-religious-polarisation-in-tn-candidates-list/|access-date=2022-01-26|website=The Federal|language=en-US}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1972 | Initiated as member in the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) under the leadership of M.G.R., when he started the party. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1972–1980 | District Student–Wing Secretary of AIADMK, of the combined districts of Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai and Virudhunagar under the leadership of M.G.R. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1982–1984 | Union Secretary, Kalaiyarkovil, Sivagangai District under the leadership of M.G.R. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1984–1987 | District Secretary, Sivagangai District under the leadership of M.G.R. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1987–1989 | District Secretary, Sivagangai District of the AIADMK(J) headed by Selvi J. Jayalalitha. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1989 | Contested the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election from the Thirupattur Constituency, Sivagangai District, under the Seval symbol of the AIADMK(J) headed by Selvi. J. Jayalalitha. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1989–1991 | District Secretary, Sivagangai Disrtrict of the United AIADMK under the leadership of Selvi. J. Jayalalitha. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1991 | Contested and Elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections from the Thirupattur Constituency, Sivagangai District, under the leadership of Selvi. J. Jayalalitha.<ref name="autogenerated1991">[http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/StatisticalReport-Tamil%20Nadu91.pdf 1991 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India]</ref> |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 1991–1996 | Nominated to the Council of Ministers as Minister for Highways, Public Works Department and Electricity, Government of Tamil Nadu by Selvi. J. Jayalalitha. Held the post of Organizing Secretary of the AIADMK.<br /><br />Then held the post of Treasurer of AIADMK under auspices of Selvi. J. Jayalalitha. He was given the title of "Computer Kannappan" by Selvi. J. Jeyalalitha for his efficiency in handling three major portfolios and conducting party activities. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2000 | Started Makkal Tamil Desam Party in 2000 with more than 27 Lakh members and conducted a State Level Conference in Chennai on 23 December 2000 with around 25 Lakh members. And it was narrated as a huge conference in Tamil Nadu by all newspapers. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2001 | Contested the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections from Ilayankudi, Sivagangai District through his party Makkal Tamil Desam. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2004 | Makkal Tamil Desam Party was in Third Front in the Local Body Elections conducted in Tamil Nadu and the party members won in many places. MTD Party led the Third Front in the Member of Parliament Elections held in 2004. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2006 | Contested and Elected to the Legislative Assembly Elections from Ilayankudi Constituency, Sivagangai District.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tamil Nadu 2006|url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/3339-tamil-nadu-2006/|access-date=2020-12-24|website=Election Commission of India|language=en-IN}}</ref> |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2008 | Represented India to attend Commonwealth of Nations held at Canada. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2008 | Member of Delimitation Committee. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2009 | Joined AIADMK and was asked by Selvi. J. Jayalalitha to represent AIADMK in the Parliament by contesting the Loksabha Election held in 2009. He<br />contested from Sivagangai Constituency and lost to the Congress Candidate P.Chidambaram. P.Chidambaram was declared the winner by a small margin of about 3400 votes. Even today, news articles (both print and video) announcing the details of the election and Kannappan's election petition against P.Chidambaram can be found on the internet. The case filed in 2009 is still unresolved though Chidambaram has completed his term as Lok sabha member from Sivaganga in May 2014. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2011 | Contested the Legislative Assembly Elections from Thirupattur Constituency, Sivagangai District. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2014 | Appointed by Selvi. J. Jeyalalitha as an incharge of AIADMK for Member of Parliament Elections to Southern Districts of Tamil Nadu which includes 10 constituencies. |- | style="width:100px; text-align:center;"| 2016 | Appointed by Selvi. J. Jeyalalitha as an incharge of AIADMK for Legislative Assembly Elections of Tamil Nadu. |}
== Controversy == Kannappan — together with his wife, mother, two brothers, two sisters and mother-in-law — were among several former ADMK legislators charged with having assets disproportionate to their known income by Tamil Nadu Police in June 2005.<ref name="hindu" /> The issue had first been investigated in 1996 and all charges were dismissed by the courts in 2015 due to lack of evidence, by which time his wife and mother had died.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Times of India |title=Former Tamil Nadu minister Raja Kannappan acquitted in disproportionate assets case |first=Manish |last=Raj |date=24 July 2015 |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Former-Tamil-Nadu-minister-Raja-Kannappan-acquitted-in-disproportionate-assets-case/articleshow/48206161.cms |accessdate=2017-05-17}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Government of Tamil Nadu}} {{Council of Ministers of Tamil Nadu}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kannappan, Raja}} Category:All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians Category:State cabinet ministers of Tamil Nadu Category:Living people Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 2006–2011 Category:Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 1991–1996 Category:Tamil Nadu MLAs 2021–2026