With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections due next year, former AIADMK Minister and BJP Legislature Party Leader Nainar Nagendran officially assumed charge as the new state president of the BJP on Saturday, following his unanimous election.
Photo: IANS
With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections due next year, former AIADMK Minister and BJP Legislature Party Leader Nainar Nagendran officially assumed charge as the new state president of the BJP on Saturday, following his unanimous election.
Nagendran’s appointment, backed by the party’s national leadership, coincided with Union Home Minister Amit Shah formalizing the BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK.
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As the outgoing state president had a strained relationship with the AIADMK leadership, it is expected that under Nainar — a seasoned Dravidian-style politician — relations will improve. Known for his cross-party respect, Nagendran is currently the MLA from Tirunelveli.
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His elevation to the party’s top post in the state is seen as a strategic move to bolster the BJP’s influence in South Tamil Nadu, especially among the OBC Thevar community, to which he belongs.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at a grand event attended by over 1,500 party functionaries, including Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, at a sprawling private marriage hall in Vanagaram, on the outskirts of Chennai.
Notably, this venue has long served as the site of AIADMK’s general council meetings since the days of the late Jayalalithaa.
Ahead of Nagendran’s formal election, Shah had him seated on the dais alongside AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) during a press conference announcing the AIADMK’s return to the NDA fold.
Former state president K Annamalai remarked that being relieved of his organizational responsibilities would now allow him to be more politically active.
Observers believe Annamalai will be assigned new responsibilities by the national leadership, as he is viewed as a long-term asset for the party.
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