K Padmarajan, a 65-year-old tyre repair shop owner from Salem, Tamil Nadu, known as the ‘Election King,’ is once again entering the political arena, this time as a candidate from the Dharmapuri constituency.
Padmarajan has an extraordinary track record of contesting elections, having participated in a staggering 238 elections, including Panchayat elections and even Presidential elections, but has never won.
Despite his numerous defeats, Padmarajan remains undeterred, believing that in a democracy, everyone should have the opportunity to contest elections. His persistence has earned him recognition in the Limca Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, and Delhi Book of Records as the most unsuccessful candidate in electoral history.
“Until now, I have contested against Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PV Narasimha Rao, J Jayalalithaa, M Karunanidhi, AK Antony, Vayalar Ravi, BS Yediyurappa, S Bangarappa, SM Krishna, Vijay Mallya, Sadananda Gowda and Anbumani Ramadoss. I have contested in the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections for a total of six times as well. I don’t want to win, but only to lose, as you can taste victory for only a certain time, but you can bore loss forever,” he said.
Having spent approximately Rs 1 crore on election expenses, Padmarajan remains committed to his cause, using the earnings from his tyre repair shop to fund his campaign.
Even a kidnapping incident in Andhra Pradesh in 1991, while contesting against Narasimha Rao, did not dampen Padmarajan’s spirit, as he continues to advocate for greater awareness about the democratic process.
Source Agencies
