• Source:JND
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced Nainar Nagendran as the new president of its Tamil Nadu unit on Saturday, a day after forming an alliance with the DMK for the Assembly polls. Nagendran succeeds K. Annamalai as the 13th president of the Tamil Nadu BJP.

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Nagendran, a three-time MLA from Tirunelveli, has been appointed to succeed K. Annamalai as the new Tamil Nadu BJP chief. His key challenge will be to revitalise the party’s prospects ahead of next year’s Assembly elections in a state that has traditionally resisted the BJP and its brand of assertive nationalism.

"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," Nagenthiran said.

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The new Tamil Nadu BJP chief may find his role somewhat eased by the party’s decision to renew its alliance with the AIADMK. Nainar Nagendran had previously won the Tirunelveli seat in 2001 and 2011 as an AIADMK candidate before crossing over to the BJP.

Amit Shah on Friday confirmed that the BJP had received Nagenthiran's nomination for the top post."The nomination for the post of Tamil Nadu BJP State President has been received only from Mr @NainarBJP. As the Tamil Nadu BJP President, Mr @annamalai_k has made commendable achievements. Whether it is taking the policies of Prime Minister Mr @narendramodi to the people, or taking the party's projects village by village, Mr Annamalai's contribution is immense. The BJP will utilize Mr Annamalai's organizational skills in the party's national structure," he said.

Having served as a cabinet minister in the AIADMK government from 2001 to 2006, Nainar Nagendran is seen as a natural link between the BJP and AIADMK in their renewed alliance. 

He is the BJP MLA from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and had earlier hinted at the possibility of an alliance, stating that there was no need to pressure the AIADMK into an agreement and that a simple dialogue with EPS would be enough to build a partnership.

At the time, then BJP president K. Annamalai distanced himself from the remark, claiming it had been misinterpreted. He later reaffirmed his loyalty to the party, and said that he had entered politics to serve Tamil Nadu, not to pursue power, and was willing to work as a grassroots BJP worker.