Chennai, April 11, 2025 – BJP legislator Nainar Nagendran threw his hat in the ring Friday, filing his nomination for the Tamil Nadu state president post at the party’s Kamalalayam HQ in T Nagar. The Tirunelveli MLA, a former AIADMK stalwart, is poised to succeed K Annamalai, with heavyweights like Union Minister L Murugan, ex-Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, and Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan backing his bid, per Times of India.
Nagendran’s move, the first formal step in the race, comes amid buzz of a BJP-AIADMK reunion after last month’s Amit Shah-Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) meet. A two-time AIADMK MLA turned BJP convert in 2017, he’s a bridge—his Mukkulathor roots and south Tamil Nadu clout align with EPS’s Thevar base, yet he’s no clone. “I’m here to serve, not dictate,” he told reporters, dodging alliance talk but fueling it anyway. Posts on X hum with speculation—“ADMK’s backdoor entry?” one quipped.
His track record’s meaty—transport minister in 2001-06, electricity and industries in 2011-16, and a 23,107-vote win in 2021 (The Hindu). But baggage trails: a 2024 CB-CID probe over Rs 3.99 crore seized cash linked him to voter handouts—he’s dodged summons so far. “Discipline’s his forte,” a BJP insider told The Indian Express, brushing off critics who flag his brash nomination filings—like 2021’s pre-list dash.
Annamalai’s firebrand era lifted BJP’s Tamil Nadu vote share to 11% in 2024 (ECI), but Nagendran’s old-school sway could seal a 2026 alliance. “He gets Dravidian ethos,” an analyst noted. With Shah in Chennai this week, the timing’s no fluke—will it mend the 2023 AIADMK split? For now, Nagendran’s in pole position—can he steer BJP past DMK’s grip, or just hand EPS the wheel?
