Tamil Nadu Gets New BJP Chief: Who is Nainar Nagendran?

Nainar Nagendran, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Tirunelveli constituency, was formally named president of the Tamil Nadu BJP unit on Saturday, April 12. Nainar Nagendran, flanked by former BJP chairman Annamalai and other senior BJP officials, was heartily applauded by those in attendance.

The new Tamil Nadu BJP head’ task may be made simpler by the party’s announcement of a renewed partnership with the AIADMK. Mr. Nagendran won the Tirunelveli seat on an AIADMK ticket in 2001 and 2011, before switching parties.

Who is Nainar Nagendran:

Nainar Nagendran, commonly known as Nagendran, is the lone candidate from the saffron party who has filed his nomination for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections next year. The official announcement of his nomination as state unit president was made on Saturday. Nagendran, the current state vice president of the BJP, previously worked for the AIADMK. He joined the BJP in 2017. His name was suggested by Annamalai, Union Minister L Murugan, and former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan.

Take A Look At The Tweet:

Nainar Nagendran takes charge as the new Tamil Nadu BJP president during a grand event @ Vanagaram,Chennai on Saturday. The ceremony saw the presence of senior leaders & supporters in large numbers. @NewIndianXpress @xpresstn @BJP4TamilNadu @BJP4TamilNadu @NainarBJP @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/5uXWCFtSpM

— Ashwin Prasath (@ashwinacharya05) April 12, 2025

Nagendran was Tamil Nadu’s transport minister from May 19, 2001, to May 12, 2006. He has served as the BJP’s vice president in Tamil Nadu from July 3, 2020. Nagendran won the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections from the Tirunelveli constituency as an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate in 2006 and 2011. In 2021, however, he won as a BJP candidate.

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Annamalai Exit:
Annamalai, the outgoing BJP president in Tamil Nadu, has publicly said that he is “not in the contest for the new state chief” and will continue to serve as “an ordinary cadre”. Annamalai’s departure is viewed as a planned move to reset the party’s leadership profile in the state. Especially in light of the partnership with the AIADMK.