Chennai: Nainar Nagendran will be the new president of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP. Nagendran was the only person to file a nomination for the post of state president on Wednesday, making his elevation to the top post uncontested.
Nagendran, a BJP MLA from Tirunelveli, has a political past in the AIADMK. His appointment to lead the Tamil Nadu BJP comes at a crucial time, particularly as the party is looking to revive its alliance with the AIADMK. Despite being with the BJP for only eight years—short of the ten-year primary membership typically required for the state president post—precedents within the party suggest that exceptions can be made for strategic reasons.
Nagendran’s Mukkulathor (Maravar) caste identity and acceptability to the AIADMK leadership are seen as advantageous for the BJP’s efforts to broaden its appeal and potentially revive its alliance with the AIADMK. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Chennai to hold key discussions with state leaders, confirmed the development in a post on X. “The Tamil Nadu BJP has received a nomination for the post of state president only from Shri @NainarBJP Ji,” he wrote.
He also lauded outgoing president Annamalai’s work, saying, “As the President of the Tamil Nadu BJP unit, Shri @annamalai_k Ji has made commendable accomplishments. Whether it is carrying the policies of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji to people or the programs of the party from village to village, Annamalai Ji’s contribution has been unprecedented.”
