Telangana governor resigns to contest Lok Sabha polls as BJP candidate in May

Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan resigned from both posts on Monday morning. Sources told NDTV that Ms Sandra Rajan, who was the leader of the Tamil Nadu party of the Bharatiya Janata Party before becoming governor, is expected to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Ms. Soundararajan, 62, was sworn in as the second governor of the then fledgling Telangana state in November 2019 and was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in February 2021. She is likely to contest from the lone Lok Sabha seat in Puducherry. by Congress.

Sources said the BJP believes Ms Sandra Rajan may have closer ties with the people of Puducherry. There are also speculations that she may be fielded from one of the three seats in Tamil Nadu, including Kanimo from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazagam Thoothukudi seat occupied by Kanimozhi.

Ms Soundararajan contested the 2019 election for the seat but lost handily. In 2009, she also contested from the Chennai (North) seat, but also failed. TKS Elangovan of DMK.

She also contested the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections three times – in 2006 from Ladpuram, 2011 from Veerachery and 2016 from Virugampakam. She lost all three elections – the first to the DMK and the latter two to the AIADMK or the BJP’s former ally. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Ahead of the elections, which will be held in seven phases from April 19, the BJP has been active in the southern region, where the party has been struggling. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited Tamil Nadu five times this year, and the BJP has no major alliance partner there.