In a pre-poll strategic development prior to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promoted Nainar Nagendran as the new Tamil Nadu unit president. He is replacing K Annamalai, who is a retired IPS officer with an aggressive style of functioning.
Nainar Nagendran was the sole candidate for the chief post, and his nomination remained unchallenged. His election marks a change in the party leadership style in the Dravidian-dominated politics of Tamil Nadu.
From AIADMK Loyalist to BJP Leader
Born in Vadiveeswaram on October 16, 1960, Nagendran entered politics with J Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK. He was a minister from 2001 to 2006, having important portfolios such as Electricity, Industry, and Transport. But when the AIADMK came back to power in 2011, he was excluded from the cabinet, leading him to ultimately switch to the BJP in 2017, only a few days after Jayalalithaa died.
STORY | Nainar Nagendran all set to become next TN BJP prez, party picks Annamalai for national role
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He was the vice president of Tamil Nadu BJP since 2020 and won the 2021 Assembly elections from Tirunelveli on a BJP ticket. He also commands the BJP’s legislative party in the state.
Heading the BJP’s Tamil Nadu Mission
As the 13th president of the BJP Tamil Nadu unit, Nagendran is likely to plan for broadening the party’s footprint in a state dominated long by the Dravidian parties such as DMK and AIADMK. His tenure in both state administrations and elections places him in a strategic position ahead of the next poll.
Past Controversies and Legal Scrutiny
Nagendran’s political career has not been void of scandal. In 2006, an investigation unearthed assets outside his declared income while he was in office as a minister. The Directorate of Vigilance charged him, his wife, and four relatives with a ₹3.9 crore disproportionate assets case under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2010.
He also drew flak in 2018 for issuing death threats to Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu for making controversial remarks about Andal. “There is no need to hesitate in killing people who speak ill of Hinduism,” he had stated.
Currently leading the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, Nagendran has the twin task of increasing the party’s reach and putting the past behind him.
