AIADMK Deal Sealed: Why Nainar Nagendran Ticks All Boxes To Replace Annamalai As Tamil Nadu BJP Chief

Last Updated:April 11, 2025, 16:22 IST

Nagendran was the only one to file his nomination for the post of state BJP president on Friday. With his caste, region, and background with the AIADMK, he is likely to act as a catalyst for the BJP-AIADMK alliance

Nagendran’s elevation as the BJP’s state president comes at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Tamil Nadu. (Image: X/@NainarBJP)

Nainar Nagendran is now the BJP’s Tamil Nadu president. Nagendran was the only one to file his nomination for the post of state BJP president on Friday. With his caste, region, and background with the AIADMK, he is likely to act as a catalyst for the BJP-AIADMK alliance.

A major irritant for the AIADMK has been K. Annamalai, the outgoing BJP state president. One reason is that Annamalai and AIADMK’s top leader, E. Palaniswami, come from the same powerful community dominant in western Tamil Nadu — the Gounders — and also from the same region, western Kongu. The other reason was Annamalai’s outbursts against top AIADMK leaders, including J. Jayalalithaa, in 2023, which led the AIADMK to move a resolution against him and ultimately withdraw from the alliance with the BJP.

Nainar Nagendran could resolve these issues for the BJP with the AIADMK. First, he hails from Tirunelveli, in southern Tamil Nadu, a region where the BJP has been trying to expand. Second, he belongs to another influential community in the state, the Thevars, and is from a different caste to E. Palaniswami. Third — and most importantly — he began his political career with the AIADMK and even served as a minister in the AIADMK government. Hence, he is well aware of the culture and sensitivities of the AIADMK, sources say.

Nagendran was present on stage alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a recent event in Rameswaram, where the Prime Minister inaugurated the Pamban Bridge. He is a three-time MLA from Tirunelveli, although he was unsuccessful in his bids for the Lok Sabha in both 2019 and 2024. He first won as an MLA from Tirunelveli in 2001 on an AIADMK ticket, and again in 2011. He served as a minister when J. Jayalalithaa and O. Panneerselvam were Chief Ministers between 2001 and 2006. Nagendran left the AIADMK in 2017 and joined the BJP, where he rose to become the party’s state vice-president.

Nagendran’s elevation as the BJP’s state president comes at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Tamil Nadu. E. Palaniswami met Shah in Delhi on 25 March — triggering speculation that the erstwhile allies were planning a reunion. A key condition set by the AIADMK for an alliance has been that they would not deal with Annamalai as the BJP state chief. This was also the ultimatum given by the AIADMK to the BJP in 2023, when it walked out of the alliance. However, the BJP chose to stick with Annamalai at the time.

The Lok Sabha elections proved disastrous for both the AIADMK and the BJP, as neither party managed to win a single seat.

In a latest development, Annamalai said last week that he is not in the race to remain the party’s state president, although he would continue to be involved in Tamil Nadu politics. This statement came shortly after Annamalai met Shah in Delhi following EPS’s meeting. It is believed that Shah conveyed to Annamalai that the alliance with the AIADMK must happen ahead of the 2026 elections.

Tamil Nadu, India, India

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