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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ganapathi P. Rajkumar
| office1 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
| term_start1 = 4 June 2024
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[P.R. Natarajan]]
| constituency1 = [[Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency|Coimbatore]]
| office2 = 5th [[Mayor of Coimbatore]]
| term_start2 = 2014
| term_end2 = 2016
| predecessor2 = [[S. M. Velusamy]]
| successor2 = [[A. Kalpana]]
| party = [[File:Flag DMK.svg|20px]] [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (2020 - present)
| other_party = [[File:AIADMK OfficialFlag Vector.svg|20px]] [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (1989 - 2020)
| birth_name = Ganapathi P. Rajkumar
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|year=1965|month=4|day=17|df=y}}
| education = B.A, M.A, Ph.D
| occupation = [[Politician]]
| source = https://sansad.in/ls/members/biographyM/5807?from=members
}}
'''Ganapathi P. Rajkumar''' is an Indian politician active in the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the 5th [[List of mayors of Coimbatore|mayor of Coimbatore]] from 2014 to 2016. He contested in the [[2024 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu|2024 Indian general election]] from the [[Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency]] as a candidate of the DMK.<ref name="Party changers {{!}} Shifting hues">{{cite news |date=13 July 2024 |title=Party changers {{!}} Shifting hues |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/18th-lok-sabha-the-debutants/story/20240722-party-changers-shifting-hues-2565842-2024-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302190555/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/18th-lok-sabha-the-debutants/story/20240722-party-changers-shifting-hues-2565842-2024-07-13 |archive-date=2 March 2025 |access-date=22 March 2025 |publisher=India Today |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Rajkumar completed his [[Bachelor of Arts|Bachelor of arts]] (BA) degree in English Literature, [[Master of Arts]] (MA) degree in Mass Communication and [[Bachelor of Laws]] (LL.B). He subsequently completed his [[Doctorate degree]] (PhD) in Journalism and Mass communication.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-03-21 |title=கோவை தொகுதி திமுக வேட்பாளர் கணபதி ராஜ்குமார் - சிறு குறிப்பு |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/tamilnadu/1218937-coimbatore-dmk-candidate-ganapathi-rajkumar-short-note.html |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Hindu Tamil Thisai |language=ta}}</ref>

==Politics==
Rajkumar joined the AIADMK in 1989 and was elected as a councillor in the [[Coimbatore Municipal Corporation|Coimbatore City Corporation]] in 2001.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/lok-sabha-polls-dmk-announces-candidates-for-coimbatore-and-pollachi-parliamentary-constituencies/article67971610.ece |title=Lok Sabha polls <nowiki>|</nowiki> DMK announces candidates for Coimbatore and Pollachi Parliamentary Constituencies |work=The Hindu |date=20 March 2024}}</ref> In the 2014 mayoral elections of Coimbatore, Rajkumar contested as the [[AIADMK]] candidate and won with a share of 420,104 votes after the [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] candidate came second with a share of 128,761 votes where neither the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]] nor the [[Indian National Congress|INC]] participated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/AIADMKs-Rajkumar-wins-Coimbatore-mayoral-elections/articleshow/43162517.cms|title=AIADMK's Rajkumar wins Coimbatore mayoral elections |work=The Times of India |date=22 September 2014}}</ref> Rajkumar was subsequently elected the mayor of Coimbatore,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140923/nation-current-affairs/article/prajkumar-kovai-mayor#vuukle-emotevuukle_div |title=P.Rajkumar is Kovai Mayor |date=23 September 2014|work=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref> and served from 2014 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=SimpliCity News |date=2024-03-20 |title=2024 லோக் சபா தேர்தல்: கோவை திமுக வேட்பாளராக முன்னாள் மேயர் கணபதி ராஜ்குமார் தேர்வு. |url=https://simplicity.in/coimbatore/english/news/119505/2024-Lok-Sabha-Election-Former-Mayor-Ganapathy-Rajkumar-Selected-as-DMK-Candidate-for-Coimbatore |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=simplicity.in |language=en}}</ref> He previously held the position of Urban district secretary for the AIADMK.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-21 |title=DMK springs a few surprises in west TN |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/dmk-springs-a-few-surprises-in-west-tn/articleshow/108661546.cms |access-date=2024-03-24 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

Rajkumar joined the DMK on 21 December 2020 in the presence of [[M. K. Stalin]] as he felt he was sidelined by the leaders of the AIADMK.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/former-coimbatore-mayor-rajkumar-joins-dmk/article33384878.ece |title=Former Coimbatore mayor Rajkumar joins DMK |date=21 December 2020 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/ex-aiadmk-mayor-of-city-corporation-joins-dmk/articleshow/79847010.cms |title=Ex-AIADMK mayor of city corporation joins DMK |work=The Times of India |date=22 December 2020}}</ref> He is presently the DMK's Presidium Chairman of Coimbatore district.<ref name=":0" />

For the [[2024 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu|2024 Indian general election]], he was selected by the DMK to contest from the [[Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/dmk-announces-candidates-for-lok-sabha-elections-10-sitting-mps-retained |title=DMK announces candidates for Lok Sabha elections, 10 sitting MPs retained |work=The News Minute |date=20 March 2024}}</ref>

==Electoral Career==
=== Lok Sabha Election ===
{|class="sortable wikitable"style="font-size: 90%"
!Elections
!Constituency
!Party
!Result
!Votes obtained
!Vote percentage
!Opposition candidate
!Opposition party
!Opposition vote percentage
|-
|[[2024 Indian general election]]||[[Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency|Coimbatore]]||[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]||Won
|5,68,200||41.4%||[[Kuppusamy Annamalai|K. Annamalai]]||[[Bhartiya Janata Party|BJP]]||32.8%<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bharat |first=E. T. V. |date=2024-06-04 |title=Coimbatore Lok Sabha Seat Result 2024: DMK's Ganapathy Rajkumar P Defeats BJP's Annamalai by Over 1 Lakh Votes |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!state/lok-sabha-election-2024-result-tamil-nadu-coimbatore-seat-winner-k-annamalai-bjp-ganapathi-p-rajkumar-dmk-singai-g-ramachandran-aiadmk-latest-update-enn24060304702 |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=ETV Bharat News |language=en}}</ref>
|} He is the MP of Coimbatore

=== Municipal Corporation Mayor Direct Elections ===
{|class="sortable wikitable"style="font-size: 90%"
!Elections
!Corporation
!Party
!Result
!Votes obtained
!Opposition candidate
!Opposition party
!Opposition Votes obtained
|-
|[[2011 Tamil Nadu local elections]]||[[Coimbatore Municipal Corporation|Coimbatore]]||[[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|AIADMK]]||{{Won}}|| 4,20,104||Nandakumar||[[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]||1,28,761
|}

== Personal life ==
Rajkumar was born to Palanisamy and Bhuvaneswari on 17th April 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DIN |date=2024-03-21 |title=கோவை திமுக வேட்பாளர் யார்? |url=https://www.dinamani.com/tamilnadu/2024/Mar/21/who-is-the-coimbatore-dmk-candidate |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Dinamani |language=ta}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajkumar, Ganapathi P.}}
[[Category:Mayors of Coimbatore]]
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:India MPs 2024–2029]]
[[Category:Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance candidates in 2024 Indian general election]]

Ganapathi P. Rajkumar - Revision history

Cmrseowork at 04:05, 9 April 2026