‘Election King’ Padmarajan files nomination in Telangana despite 236 defeats in panchayat to president poll

Known as the “Election King,” Padmarajan revealed that this is his 237th nomination in elections, ranging from local bodies to presidential, held in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Padmarajan, who operates a tyre repair shop, began his journey of filing nominations in the Mettur constituency during the 1988 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Since then, he has even contested against former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and PV Narasimha Rao.

Padmarajan, a sexagenarian who refers to himself as a homoeopathic doctor, has set several records with his passion for participating in elections. He claims to have spent around Rs 1 crore towards his obsession. In the 2019 general elections, he even contested against former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi in the Wayanad constituency in Kerala.

When asked about his highest vote count, Padmarajan mentioned that he received over 6273 votes in the Mettur constituency during the 2011 Tamil Nadu assembly polls. However, he also admitted that he has received zero votes in certain panchayat elections.

According to his affidavit filed on November 4, neither Padmarajan nor any of his family members have ever filed Income Tax returns. He declared his movable assets worth Rs 1,10,000, including a moped, and an annual income of Rs 1 lakh. The affidavit also states that he studied up to class 8 and is currently pursuing his MA in History from Annamalai Open University.