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Karate R. Thiagarajan
Office 46th Mayor of Chennai








Predecessor M.K. Stalin
Successor M. Subramaniam







Nationality Indian


Political party Bharatiya Janata Party[1]






Karate R. Thiagarajan is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). He was part of the AIADMK and congress before joining the BJP in February 2021. He was the 38th Mayor of Chennai in Tamil Nadu from October 2002 to October 2006. Thiagarajan is also a karate practitioner, and holds a black belt in the martial art.[2]

Karate association of India

He was the president of Karate Association of India one of the two bodies running Karate in India and is involved in a dispute with All India Karate- do Federation.[3] He was earlier the President of the All India Karate- do Federation but was removed for alleged misappropriation of funds and Sanjay Singh became the President.[4]

Political career

Thiagarajan was elected to the Chennai Corporation as an AIADMK councillor and he became the deputy Mayor in-charge of Corporation of Chennai and after M. K. Stalin who had been reelected Mayor in 2001 was removed in 2002 and Thiagarajan who was the deputy Mayor became the de facto mayor and in-charge of Corporation of Chennai.[5][6] He was an instrumental in filing cases in the construction of flyovers case.[7] He was expelled from the AIADMK in 2005 and there was apprehension that he may be arrested over allegations relating to with irregularities in the allotment of space for hoardings. Thiagarajan went into hiding for over 6 months and returned before the 2006 elections and rejoined the Congress.[8] [9][10]

The All India Congress Committee suspended Thiagarajan in June 2019 for anti-party activities.[11] He joined BJP in February 2021.[12]

References

  1. Karate Thiagarajan, Sivaji Ganesan's son and grandson join BJP. The Times of India(11 February 2021). Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  2. Congress headed for real martial arts post Tamil Nadu polling. The Economic Times(2011-04-16). Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  3. Police raid leaves karate officials red- faced. Yahoo News(21 September 2015). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  4. Karate Thiagarajan dismissed for allegedly misappropriating funds. DNA news(2 January 2010). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  5. When civic sense got a headstart. New Indian Express(16 May 2012). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  6. DMK members evicted en masse(1 May 2003). Retrieved 6 May 2016. Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore
  7. Tamil Nadu: Corporation personnel face axe in flyover scam. Asian Tribune(27 May 2005). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  8. Chennai Deputy Mayor expelled from AIADMK. Deccan Herald(15 October 2005). Retrieved 6 May 2016. Template:Dead link
  9. Thangabalu quits, leaves TNCC to ponder future. Economic Times(14 May 2011). Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  10. Thiagarajan joins Congress(17 April 2006). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  11. AICC suspends Karate Thiagarajan again, forms disciplinary committee. DTNext.in.
  12. Late thespian Sivaji Ganesan's son Ram Kumar, Karate Thiagarajan join BJP. Retrieved 7 January 2022.