Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and MLA Nainar Nagenthiran filed his nomination on Friday, April 11, for the position of Tamil Nadu BJP president. He was joined by several key figures from the party, including the outgoing state chief K. Annamalai. As of now, Nagenthiran — whose surname is also spelled Nagendran — is the sole contender for the post, and his appointment is expected to be formally announced on Saturday.
The move comes on a significant political day, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Tamil Nadu, confirmed the BJP’s renewed alliance with the AIADMK, with Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) set to lead the coalition.
Annamalai, who has led the party through a high-visibility phase, had earlier clarified he was stepping aside from the leadership race and would return to the role of an “ordinary cadre.” His exit is being interpreted as a strategic shift to reconfigure the BJP’s leadership in the state, especially with the AIADMK back in the fold.
Who is Nainar Nagenthiran?
Currently the state vice president of the BJP, Nagenthiran began his political journey with the AIADMK and joined the BJP in August 2017, following the death of AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa. His nomination was proposed by Annamalai, Union Minister L. Murugan, and former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, among others.
A veteran politician, Nagenthiran served as Tamil Nadu’s transport minister from May 2001 to May 2006. He won the Tirunelveli seat in the state assembly in 2006 and 2011 as an AIADMK candidate, and in 2021, he reclaimed the seat—this time representing the BJP—by defeating the DMK candidate by a margin of 23,107 votes. He is currently the leader of the BJP’s legislative party in the state and remains one of only four BJP MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, making him the party’s most experienced legislator in the state.
Known for his low-profile and non-confrontational political style, Nagenthiran is also a prominent leader from the Thevar community, a key demographic in southern Tamil Nadu. His elevation is being viewed as a tactical step to bolster the BJP’s outreach in the southern belt, traditionally dominated by the DMK.
“The BJP wants to consolidate its hold beyond western Tamil Nadu. Bringing in a Thevar leader like Nagendran could help expand its influence in the southern districts and beyond,” The Indian Express quoted a BJP leader as saying.