A. Chellakumar

{{short description|Indian politician}}

{{Use Indian English|date=November 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| office = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

| termstart = 23 May 2019

| termend = 4 June 2024

| predecessor = K. Ashok Kumar

| constituency = Krishnagiri

| office1 = Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

| termstart1 = 1996

| termend1 = 2001

| constituency1 = Thiyagarayanagar

| office2 = AICC Incharge for Meghalya PCC, Mizoram PCC, Arunachal PCC

| term_start2 = 24 December 2023

| term_end2 =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| party = Indian National Congress
Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar)

}}

Dr. A. Chellakumar is an Indian politician and Member of parliament. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly as an Indian National Congress (INC) candidate from Anna Nagar constituency in the 1991 election{{Cite web |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/StatisticalReport-Tamil%20Nadu91.pdf |title=1991 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India |access-date=21 November 2009 |archive-date=7 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007161404/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/StatisticalReport-Tamil%20Nadu91.pdf |url-status=dead }} and as a Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) candidate from T. Nagar constituency in the 1996 election.{{cite web |publisher=Election Commission of India |page=5 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1996/StatisticalReport-TN96.pdf |title=Statistical Report on General Election 1996 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu |accessdate=2017-05-06 |archive-date=7 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007221700/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1996/StatisticalReport-TN96.pdf |url-status=dead }} He was unsuccessful in winning the Villivakkam constituency in 2001. In the 2011 election he attempted once again to gain the T. Nagar seat.{{cite news |work=The Times of India |title=Ready to vote? Meet The Players |date=11 April 2011 |url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrint_TOINEW&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOICH/2011/04/11&ID=Ar00401 |accessdate=2017-05-10 |archive-date=28 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328143955/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToPrint_TOINEW&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOICH%2F2011%2F04%2F11&ID=Ar00401 |url-status=dead }} His candidacy in 2001 was as a TMC(M) member and in 2011 it was for the INC. He was runner-up on both occasions.{{cite web |publisher=Election Commission of India |page=38 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2001/Stat_Rep_TN_2001.pdf |title=Statistical Report on General Election 2001 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu |accessdate=2017-05-10 |archive-date=6 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006173934/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2001/Stat_Rep_TN_2001.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |publisher=Election Commission of India |page=47 |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/AE2011/stat_TN_May2011.pdf |title=Statistical Report on General Election 2011 for the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu |accessdate=2017-05-10}}

Although he had joined the TMC(M) breakaway group in 1996 when factionalism beset the INC due to a decision to ally with the All Indian Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the state, Chellakumar subsequently fell out with TMC(M) founder G. K. Moopanar. His career then stalled for some years until, seen as a neutral figure with the INC, into which the TMC(M) had re-merged, he was one of three people appointed as a secretary to the Tamil Nadu All India Congress Committee in 2013.{{cite news |work=The Hindu |title= Congress rewards leaders who belong to no faction |date=18 June 2013 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/congress-rewards-leaders-who-belong-to-no-faction/article4825241.ece |accessdate=2017-05-10}}

Chellakumar unsuccessfully contested the Krishnagiri Lok Sabha constituency for the INC in the 2014 elections for the Parliament of India, where he finished in a distant fourth place.{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.in/results/krishnagiri-tn.html |publisher=Infobase |title=Krishnagiri Parliamentary Constituency(General) Elections Result 2014 |accessdate=2017-05-10}} A major reorganisation of the INC was thought to be necessary following its worst-ever defeat in those elections and as part of that process Chellakumar replaced Digvijaya Singh in April 2017 as the person in charge of the party's affairs in Goa. He was considered at that time to be close to Rahul Gandhi, the son of party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president of party.{{cite news |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170430/jsp/frontpage/story_149098.jsp#.WRK-3je1vxM |title=Diggy out, Rahul recast begins |first=Sanjay K. |last=Jha |date=30 April 2017 |accessdate=2017-05-10}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In the 2019 elections, he contested again from the Krishnagiri constituency and was elected as a member of Parliament.{{Cite web |title=Elected Representatives {{!}} Krishnagiri District, Government of Tamil Nadu |url=https://krishnagiri.nic.in/constituencies/ |access-date=Feb 27, 2024 |website=krishnagiri.nic.in}} He is highly known for his simplicity and connectivity with poor people. He is more popularly called 'Doctor' by people.