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A three-time MLA from Tirunelveli, Nagendran will replace K Annamalai as the BJP Tamil Nadu president after the party announced an alliance with the AIADMK for next year’s state Assembly elections.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader Nainar Nagendran | File Image/ANI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially appointed Nainar Nagendran as the President of the party’s Tamil Nadu unit, a day after the saffron party announced a renewed alliance with the AIADMK under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to contest next year’s Assembly elections.
Nagendran was the only one to file his nomination for the post of state BJP president on Friday, replacing K Annamalai in the top position. A three-time MLA from Tirunelveli, Nagendran will have the responsibility of guiding the party to the state Assembly elections next year.
During the public event, Annamalai congratulated Nagendran for getting the top post as the two leaders embraced on stage in the presence of other leaders. “We know our goal and path, we will uproot DMK from Tamil Nadu with the strongest NDA alliance in the upcoming elections 2026,” he said.
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: BJP MLA Nainar Nagendran elected as the president of Tamil Nadu BJP unit; former state unit president K Annamalai congratulates him“We know our goal and path, we will uproot DMK from Tamil Nadu with the strongest NDA alliance in the upcoming… pic.twitter.com/fnEmB4ukXC
— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2025
“Nagendran is a versatile man. He is rich in political culture… We are very happy. The cadres are very happy. All are in a jubilant mood. And this is the road to the 2026 elections. Under his presidency, we hope the BJP will achieve its heights,” said state BJP Vice President Narayanan Thirupathy.
Nagendran’s task would be made easier after the BJP and AIADMK formed an alliance on Friday. Nagendran began his career with the AIADMK and even served as a minister when the party formed the government before switching camps.
BJP’s former state chief Annamalai had frequently targeted senior AIADMK leaders, including MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, prompting AIADMK come out of the NDA alliance after fighting 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections together.
Who Is Nainar Nagendran?
Nagendran, a three-time MLA representing Tirunelveli, began his political journey with the AIADMK by winning the Tirunelveli Assembly seat in 2001. He also held a ministerial post in the government led by Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and O Panneerselvam.
In 2017, he parted ways with the AIADMK and joined the BJP, where he gradually rose to the ranks of the party’s state vice-president. He also shares close ties with BJP’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, he was unsuccessful in his attempts to enter the Lok Sabha race in 2019 and 2024. His elevation to the top state party post in Tamil Nadu came in the context of a renewed BJP-AIADMK alliance, where a key condition set by the AIADMK for an alliance was that they would not deal with Annamalai.
Annamalai said he is not in the race to remain the party’s state president, although he would continue to be involved in Tamil Nadu politics. Annamalai’s aggressive leadership helped the BJP increase its vote share in Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, though it ultimately failed to get them any seats. It is being speculated that Annamalai will get a national role in the BJP.
