Union Minister L Murugan Resigns to Focus on Tamil Nadu BJP Campaign

L Murugan, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, resigned from his ministerial positions and Rajya Sabha membership on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Murugan requested relief from his duties and permission to relinquish his upper house seat to dedicate himself fully to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Murugan, a former president of the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit, emphasised his commitment to grassroots organisation work and his party's mission. He stated his intention to communicate Prime Minister Modi's message of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwaas" (Everyone's support, everyone's development, everyone's trust) across Tamil Nadu and prepare the party for the upcoming elections. In his resignation letter and social media posts, he highlighted his humble background, noting that his parents worked as daily wage labourers and cattle herders and continue to live modestly in Konur village, Namakkal district.

Murugan, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2021 and again in 2024 from Madhya Pradesh, had his term scheduled to conclude in April 2030. He entered Prime Minister Modi's Cabinet in July 2021 and held responsibilities across multiple ministries including Information and Broadcasting, Parliamentary Affairs, Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry during his five-year tenure. He cited Prime Minister Modi's recent visit to Tamil Nadu and the public response as reinforcing his conviction that significant work remains to be accomplished in the state.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Murugan was defeated in the Nilgiris constituency by DMK's A Raja with a margin of 240,585 votes. More recently, in Tamil Nadu's May 2024 assembly elections, he contested from the Avinashi (SC) constituency and finished second, losing by 15,373 votes to TVK candidate Kamali S. Following Murugan's resignation, K Annamalai was appointed as the BJP's Tamil Nadu chief.