Man who lost 238 times in bid for public office ready to contest elections again
K Padmarajan, 65, has contested elections for range of offices, from local council to Indian presidency, and lost all of them
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An Indian man who has contested 238 elections and lost every single one is set to embark on his 239th electoral campaign this year.
Known as India’s “elections king”, K Padmarajan, 65, has contested elections for a range of offices, from the local council to the Indian presidency, and lost all of them, making it to the Limca Book of Records as the country’s most unsuccessful candidate.
Undeterred by past defeats, he is preparing again to contest in the upcoming six-week-long general elections starting 19 April.
India will be choosing its new prime minister, and all surveys point to a predictable victory of Narendra Modi for the third time.
Mr Padmarajan’s candidacy for a parliamentary seat in the southern state of Tamil Nadu is bringing him headlines.
Despite never tasting victory, Mr Padmarajan is a local celebrity known for his thick moustache. He says real courage is in participating.
“All candidates seek victory in elections,” Mr Padmarajan told AFP news agency. “Not me.”
For him, the victory is in participating, and when his defeat inevitably comes, he is “happy losing”, he said.
Over the years, he has waged electoral battles against prominent figures, including Indian prime ministers Narendra Modi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, as well as head of India’s biggest opposition party, Rahul Gandhi.
Beyond his political pursuits, Mr Padmarajan leads a modest life, running a tyre repair shop and offering homeopathic remedies. He also serves as an editor for local media outlets.
But he has paid a significant cost for his relentless pursuit to become a lawmaker. Mr Padmarajan says he has lost millions of rupees in deposits the candidates are supposed to make to be able to contest polls in India.
If the candidates fails to secure over 16 per cent of votes in the elections, they lose the deposit. According to Indian media outlets, he has lost over a crore rupees (£97,200).
This will be his 239th election from the Dharmapuri town in Tamil Nadu.
He put up his best show in 2011 when he received a total of 6,273 votes while contesting from his hometown Mettur, according to news channel India TV.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments