In a key organiSational move ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on April 12 officially announced Tirunelveli MLA Nainar Nagendran as the new President of its Tamil Nadu unit.
The announcement comes after days of internal discussions and was finalized during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chennai, where he held high-level meetings with state leaders.
#BREAKING | Tamil Nadu: BJP MLA Nainar Nagendran elected as the new president of Tamil Nadu BJP unit; former 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 elections 2026,”… pic.twitter.com/9tG1aGlTiU
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) April 12, 2025
Nagendran’s name was the sole nomination for the post, proposed by outgoing President K. Annamalai and unanimously approved by senior party functionaries. With this, Nagendran takes charge of the state unit at a time when the BJP is looking to expand its base in Tamil Nadu through strategic alliances and grassroots mobilization.
As part of the formal announcement, Nainar Nagendran met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who conveyed his best wishes and emphasized the party’s renewed focus on Tamil Nadu. Speaking to media, Amit Shah lauded Annamalai’s tenure as “unprecedented” and confirmed that Annamalai will now take up responsibilities in the BJP’s national team.
BJP Tamil Nadu Vice President Narayanan Thirupathy said, “The cadres are very happy and in a jubilant mood. This marks the beginning of our journey towards the 2026 elections. Under his leadership, we hope the BJP will reach new heights.”
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: state BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy says, "… Nainar 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.… pic.twitter.com/4w51sXuz93
— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2025
Amit Shah also made a significant political announcement: “The AIADMK and BJP have decided to contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections together, along with allied parties. While the national campaign will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state-level leadership will be under AIADMK Chief Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami.”
Nainar Nagendran is a seasoned politician from southern Tamil Nadu. He currently serves as the MLA from Tirunelveli and was formerly a minister in the AIADMK government before joining the BJP. Known for his organizational skills and local connect, Nagendran has held the post of State Vice President in the BJP prior to this elevation.
His appointment is viewed as a strategic step by the party to consolidate its position in southern districts and strengthen its alliance with the AIADMK ahead of the polls.
With a renewed leadership team and reaffirmed alliances, the BJP appears poised to make a more coordinated and aggressive pitch in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.
Nagendran called the recent tie-up between BJP and AIADMK a “natural alliance”. When asked about his message for the BJP cadres, Nagendran said, “BJP is a very big party with 1000 and above MLAs and 300 and above MPs, and I am very proud to become a state president of this party.”
“I don’t have followers for me separately. These are the cadres of BJP. I am sure all will unite and work wholeheartedly,” he added. He further highlighted the “positive” impact of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to the Tamil Nadu.
“There is a huge change happening in Tamil Nadu,” Nagendran said. Nainar Nagendran, who will replace K Annamalai as Tamil Nadu BJP chief further pointed out that there is no need to criticise the alliance between his party and the AIADMK.
“There is no need for criticism of our alliance. We have not criticized their (DMK) alliance,” Nagendran said.
Notably, AIADMK and BJP, and all the alliance parties decided to contest the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu together under the National Democratic Alliance.
This significant political development comes ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, which will be held in 2026. In the previous two elections–the Lok Sabha and the last assembly polls–the AIADMK has struggled to perform strongly.
The AIADMK entered into an alliance with the BJP after the passing of J Jayalalithaa in 2016. During the 2021 state elections, the AIADMK and the BJP were in alliance, which resulted in the BJP winning four seats. However, the AIADMK severed ties with the BJP in 2023.
