Nainar Nagenthran | |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister Government of Tamil Nadu | |
| In office 10 June 2002 – 12 May 2006 | |
| Minister | Industries |
| Chief Minister | J. Jayalalithaa |
| Preceded by | S. M. Velusamy |
| Succeeded by | M. Karunanidhi |
| Constituency | Tirunelveli |
| In office 2 March 2002 – 2 June 2003 | |
| Minister | Electricity |
| Chief Minister | J. Jayalalithaa |
| Preceded by | D. Jayakumar |
| Succeeded by | D. Jayakumar |
| Constituency | Tirunelveli |
| In office 29 August 2002 – 12 November 2002 | |
| Minister | Rural Industries |
| Chief Minister | J. Jayalalithaa |
| Preceded by | R. Vilvanathan |
| Succeeded by | R. Vadivel |
| Constituency | Tirunelveli |
| In office 19 May 2001 – 2 March 2002 | |
| Minister | Transport |
| Chief Minister | |
| Preceded by | K. Ponmudy |
| Succeeded by | Natham R. Viswanathan |
| Constituency | Tirunelveli |
| Member of theTamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 11 May 2021 | |
| Chief Minister | M. K. Stalin |
| Preceded by | A. L. S. Lakshmanan |
| Constituency | Tirunelveli |
| In office 23 May 2011 – 21 May 2016 | |
| Chief Minister | |
| Preceded by | N. Malai Raja |
| Succeeded by | A. L. S. Lakshmanan |
| Constituency | Tirunelveli |
| In office 22 May 2001 – 12 May 2006 | |
| Chief Minister | |
| Preceded by | A. L. Subramanian |
| Succeeded by | N. Malai Raja |
| Constituency | Tirunelveli |
| President of theBharatiya Janata Party – Tamil Nadu | |
| Assumed office 12 April 2025 | |
| National President | JP Nadda |
| Preceded by | K. Annamalai |
| Vice President of theBharatiya Janata Party – Tamil Nadu | |
| In office 3 July 2020 – 12 April 2025 | |
| President | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1960-10-16)16 October 1960 (age 65) |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Other political affiliations | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (until 2017) |
| Residence(s) | 540/1A1B, St. Thomas Street, Perumalpuram,Tirunelveli – 627007,Tamil Nadu, India |
Nainar Nagenthran (born 16 October 1960) is an Indian politician who is the state president of theBharatiya Janata Party – Tamil Nadu (BJPTN), from 12 April 2025. From 19 May 2001 to 12 May 2006, he served as theminister of Tamil Nadu in the ministry led by formerchief ministers of Tamil NaduJ. Jayalalithaa andO. Panneerselvam.
He is the current legislative leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party in theTamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He has won the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections from theTirunelveli constituency in2001 and2011 as anAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate and in2021 as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate.
He left theAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party in August 2017 to join theBharatiya Janata Party.[1] He was one of several AIADMK figures to do so and soon after his move he was appointed a state-level BJP vice-president.[2]
As an AIADMK candidate, Nagendran was elected as aMember of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) fromTirunelveli constituency in the2001[3] and2011 state assembly elections.[4] He lost the seat by 606 votes in theelection of 2006[5] and in2016, when the difference was 601. His opponent in the latter election wasA. L. S. Lakshmanan of theDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a person he had beaten in 2011 by over 38,000 votes.[4]
Nagendran served variously as a Minister for Electricity, Industry and Transport during the AIADMK-led government of 2001–2006. He was not a member of the cabinet during the AIADMK government led byJayalalithaa from 2011 but he said it was her death and the subsequent rudderless situation in which the party found itself that caused his move to the BJP in 2017.[6]
In 2021, as a BJP candidate Nagendran has been elected to Tamil Nadu state assembly from Tirunelveli constituency for the third time defeating the DMK candidate by a margin of 23,107 votes. In addition he has been also selected as the leader of BJP members in Tamil Nadu assembly.[1]
TheDirectorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption of Tamil Nadu conducted raids in 12 places belonging to Nagendran in various parts ofChennai,Kochi, and his native place of southernTirunelveli district.[7] In 2006, an investigation revealed the accumulation of assets in excess of his income when he was a minister of Tamil Nadu. It also revealed that Nagendran bought properties, including gold jewellery and lands.[8] A chargesheet was filed in December 2010 against Nagendran, his wife and four other relatives under the Prevention of Corruption Act for a ₹3.9 crore disproportionate assets case by the Directorate of Vigilance.[9]
Nainar Nagendran has sent death threats against acclaimed Tamil lyricist and writerVairamuthu in January 2018 for his controversial remarks onAndal. He has announced that BJP leaders are ready to award a cash reward of ₹10 crore if anyone slays and chops the tongue of Vairamuthu. He also said there should be no hesitation inkilling even those who speak ill ofHinduism.[10][11] This created a giant controversy in Tamil Nadu.[12] Later, he was arrested together with Hindu Munnani state vice-president,V. C. Jayabalan, for provocativehate speech that would cause divisiveness among the people and posed a threat to national unity.[13]
| Elections | Lok Sabha | Constituency | Political party | Result | Vote percentage | Opposition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Political party | Vote percentage | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 17th | Ramanathapuram | BJP |  | Lost | 32.13% | K. Navaskani | IUML |  | 44.05% | ||
| 2024 | 18th | Tirunelveli | 31.54% | C. Robert Bruce | INC |  | 47.06% | |||||
| Elections | Assembly | Constituency | Political party | Result | Vote percentage | Opposition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Political party | Vote percentage | ||||||||||
| 2001 | 12th | Tirunelveli | AIADMK |  | Won | 40.93% | A. L. Subramanian | DMK |  | 40.24% | ||
| 2006 | 13th | Lost | 45.42% | N. Malai Raja | 45.85% | |||||||
| 2011 | 14th | Won | 54.81% | A. L. S. Lakshmanan | 30.34% | |||||||
| 2016 | 15th | Lost | 42.81% | 43.13% | ||||||||
| 2021 | 16th | BJP | | Won | 46.70% | 35.01% | ||||||
| Elections | Position | Elected constituency | Term in office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 2001 | Minister for Transport | Tirunelveli | 19 May 2001 | 2 March 2002 | 287 days |
| 2001 | Minister for Electricity | Tirunelveli | 2 March 2002 | 9 June 2002 | 99 days |
| 2001 | Minister for Electricity andIndustries | Tirunelveli | 10 June 2002 | 28 August 2002 | 79 days |
| 2001 | Minister for Electricity andIndustries andRural Industries | Tirunelveli | 29 August 2002 | 12 November 2002 | 75 days |
| 2001 | Minister for Electricity andIndustries | Tirunelveli | 13 November 2002 | 2 June 2003 | 201 days |
| 2001 | Minister for Industries | Tirunelveli | 3 June 2003 | 12 May 2006 | 2 years, 343 days |
| 2011 | Member of the Legislative Assembly | Tirunelveli | 23 May 2011 | 21 May 2016 | 4 years, 364 days |
| 2021 | Member of the Legislative Assembly | Tirunelveli | 11 May 2021 | Incumbent | 4 years, 195 days |
