RSS veteran and Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, who had been hospitalized after a fall at his home on August 8, passed away in Chennai on Friday.
He was 80 and remained unmarried, dedicating his life to Sangh work from an early age. Ganesan was appointed Governor of Nagaland by the President in February 2023.
After sustaining a severe head injury in the fall, he was rushed to Apollo Hospital, where he was treated in the Intensive Care Unit. He passed away at 6:32 pm, the hospital said.
Born on February 16, 1945 in Thanjavur, Ganesan was drawn to the RSS in his youth. Following the untimely death of his father, he was raised by his elder brother.
He became a full-time activist in the organization and rose through the ranks, serving as the BJP’s Tamil Nadu General Secretary, the party’s National General Secretary, and Vice-President.
Ganesan unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Chennai South constituency in 2009 and 2014 but was later elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh.
In 2021, he was appointed the 17th Governor of Manipur, before being posted to Nagaland. During his tenure as Manipur Governor, he also held additional charge of West Bengal when Jagdeep Dhankhar was elevated to the position of Vice-President.
Despite his RSS background, Ganesan maintained cordial relations with the late DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, as well as other leaders from the Dravidian political spectrum.
Notably, Chief Minister MK Stalin and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the wedding of Ganesan’s niece in Chennai in November 2022.