P. T. R. Palanivel Rajan

{{Short description|Indian politician (1932-2006)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name =P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan

|honorific-prefix = Dr

|image =P.T.R.Palanivel Rajan.jpg

|office = 9th Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

|term_start = 1996

|term_end = 2001

|predecessor = R. Muthiah

|successor = K. Kalimuthu

| constituency =Madurai West

|office1 = Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments

|term_start1 = 2006

|term_end1 = 2006

|predecessor1 =

|successor1 =

| constituency1 =Madurai Central

|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1932|2|27}}

|birth_place = Theni, Madras Presidency, British India

|religion =

|nationality =

|relations =

|parents = P. T. Rajan (father)

| spouse = Rukmini

| children = Palanivel Thiagarajan

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2006|5|20|1932|2|27}}

|death_place = Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

|party = Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

|alma_mater =

|signature =

|website =

}}

Ponnambala Thyaga Rajan Palanivel Rajan (27 February 1932 – 20 May 2006) was an Indian politician.{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3136051.ece | title=Madurai mourns its colossal loss | publisher=The Hindu | date=21 May 2006 | accessdate=2016-05-26}}

Born into an aristocratic landlord Kondaikatti Thondaimandala Vellalar{{cite book|title=South India|author=Christopher John Baker, D. A. Washbrook|publisher=Springer, 1976|page=174|quote=Similarly, the principal Kondaikatti-Thondamandala-Vellala association included among its leaders M. Subramania Mudaliar and his nephew P.T. Rajan from Madura, whom local political tactics had taken into the Justice Party.}}{{Cite web|title=Thondaimandala Mudaliar|url=https://ipfs.fleek.co/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Thondaimandala_Mudaliars.html|access-date=2021-05-10|website=ipfs.fleek.co}} family in Uthamapalayam. He did his schooling from Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka. He graduated in political science from Madras Christian College and then studied law at Madras Law College. He was a practising lawyer before entering politics in 1967 when he joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Rajan was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Theni in 1967 and was re-elected in 1971. He was elected in 1996 from the Madurai West Constituency. In 2001 he was defeated by 708 votes after M. K. Alagiri worked against him and other DMK candidates.{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/alagiris-rollercoaster-ride/article5551630.ece | title=Alagiri’s roller-coaster ride | publisher=The Hindu | date=8 January 2014 | accessdate=2016-05-26}}{{cite web | url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/alagiri-derails-dmks-dream-trip-in-tn.html | title=Alagiri derails DMK’s dream trip in TN! | publisher=Daily Pioneer | date=16 January 2016 | accessdate=2016-05-26}} He was earlier elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council.

Rajan was Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2001.{{cite web | url=http://www.assembly.tn.gov.in/archive/list/speakerlist.html | title=Speakers of Tamil Nadu since 1952 | publisher=assembly.tn.gov.in | accessdate=2016-05-26}} He was elected from Madurai Central and was the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments in the Government of Tamil Nadu at the time of his death on 20 May 2006 at the age of 74. Madurai Kamaraj University conferred the Doctor of Law on him (Honoris Causa) in 1997.{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/18th-canal-to-be-named-after-palanivel-rajan/article1382451.ece | title=18th canal to be named after Palanivel Rajan | publisher=The Hindu | date=25 November 2008 | accessdate=2016-05-26}}{{cite web | url=http://www.oneindia.com/2006/05/20/man-with-tilak-in-a-rationalist-party-1148123028.html | title=Man with 'tilak' in a rationalist party | publisher=OneIndia | date=20 May 2006 | accessdate=2016-05-26}}

His father P. T. Rajan was Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. His son, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan is an MLA and was the finance minister of Tamil Nadu and now Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services in the Stalin ministry.