Nainar Nagendran, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Tirunelveli constituency, was formally announced the president of Tamil Nadu BJP unit on Saturday, April 12. Flanked by former BJP chief Annamalai and other senior leaders of the BJP, Nainar Nagendran was warmly congratulated by those present.
Nagendran will be succeeding former IPS officer K Annamalai, who is now all set for a national role that seems to be an apparent reward for his work in the Dravidian heartland.
Annamalai was among the 10 leaders from the state who proposed the name of party’s vice president and lawmaker Nainar Nagendran for the president’s position. He was also the only person to file nomination for the post.
“He [Nagendran] was made the BJP legislature party leader owing to his experience. Now he has been entrusted with a greater role to steer the party to victory in the Assembly election next year,” a BJP senior leader told PTI.
WHO IS NAINAR NAGENDRAN?
Born in Vadiveeswaram in neighbouring Kanyakumari district, Nainar Nagendran is a former AIADMK leader who left the party after being sidelined following J Jayalalithaa’s death. He then joined the BJP in 2017.
He was later appointed BJP state vice president.
Nagendran was a former state minister in the Jayalalithaa Cabinet and his rise as Tamil Nadu BJP chief is seen as a move to get AIADMK back into NDA fold just when there is rise in sentiments against alleged Hindi imposition by the Centre.
He has won from Tirunelveli thrice – 2001, 2011 and 2021 elections. While he fought twice on AIADMK ticket, he third time was as BJP leader.
He also unsuccessfully contested from Tirunelveli in 2006 and 2016 Assembly elections and in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
He stoked a controversy in 2018 when he announced a reward of ₹10 crore to anyone who chopped the tongue of Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu for making a controversial remark on Goddess Andal.
And he warned those speaking ill of Hinduism with dire consequences.
Nagendran courted arrest along with Hindu Munnani vice president VC Jayabalan for the alleged hate speech.
