Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Governor of Telangana and Puducherry, tendered her resignation from both positions on Monday. According to sources, she is anticipated to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after serving as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tamil Nadu unit before her governorship.
Ms. Soundararajan, aged 62, took office as Telangana’s second Governor in November 2019 and later assumed the additional responsibility of Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry in February 2021. It is speculated that she might vie for Puducherry’s lone Lok Sabha seat, currently held by the Congress, as the BJP believes she could have a stronger connection with the people there. Alternatively, there’s talk of her being fielded from one of three seats in Tamil Nadu, possibly including Thoothukudi, presently held by the ruling DMK’s Kanimozhi.
Notably, Ms. Soundararajan contested the Thoothukudi seat in 2019 but was defeated. She also ran for the Chennai (North) seat in 2009, losing to TKS Elangovan of the DMK. Additionally, she contested Tamil Nadu Assembly elections three times, losing each time – once to the DMK and twice to the AIADMK.
During her tenure, Ms. Soundararajan had confrontations with the Telangana government led by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing them of not adhering to protocol. In March last year, the BRS approached the Supreme Court alleging delays in clearing bills passed by the legislature.
Moreover, Ms. Soundararajan returned four bills, triggering a row, including one concerning state-run universities, public employment, and an amendment to the panchayat administration. She has been engaged in conflicts with former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, even accusing him of illegally tapping her phone.
With the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to commence on April 19, the BJP has intensified its efforts in the southern region, where it has historically faced challenges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made multiple visits to Tamil Nadu this year, where the BJP lacks a significant alliance partner.
Former allies AIADMK distanced themselves in September last year following criticisms from the BJP’s state unit boss, K Annamalai, towards past and present AIADMK leaders. The AIADMK’s refusal to align with the BJP means that the national party must contest all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, where it secured less than three percent of the votes in the previous election.The BJP is gearing up for an assertive campaign in Tamil Nadu under Mr. Annamalai’s leadership.