L Murugan Resigns as Union Minister and Rajya Sabha Member, Says He Wants to Strengthen BJP in Tamil Nadu

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan has submitted his resignation from both the Rajya Sabha and his ministerial position, expressing his desire to devote more time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Murugan requested to be relieved of his responsibilities.

“Now, I wish to return to the grassroots, stand with our karyakartas and dedicate myself full-time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Nation First. Party Next. Self Last,” a part of his post on X read. The move has fuelled speculation about a possible Union Cabinet reshuffle.

Union ministers George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu also left the government in June and July, respectively, before Murugan’s resignation. A former president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, Murugan was elected to the Upper House from Madhya Pradesh. He was born in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, to Telugu-speaking parents and belongs to the Arunthathiyar community.

On Tuesday, he asked Prime Minister Modi to relieve him of his Rajya Sabha membership, where his term was scheduled to expire in 2030. In July 2021, during a Cabinet reshuffle, he joined the Modi government after being appointed the BJP’s Tamil Nadu president in 2020. K Annamalai subsequently succeeded him as the state BJP chief. Murugan has also worked with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), gaining experience in student politics.

In his letter to Modi, Murugan reflected on his humble beginnings and thanked the BJP for giving him the opportunity to serve as a Union minister.

“I do not come from a political family. I come from a very poor family. My parents, who worked as daily wage labourers and cattle grazers, continue to lead a simple life in Konur village. They could never have imagined that their son would one day serve in the Union Government,” he wrote.

“The party also entrusted me with the opportunity to contest Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections over the years. I never imagined that I would be given so many avenues to serve my nation and my party,” he added.

Murugan lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election to the DMK’s A Raja in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris constituency. Despite the defeat, he was inducted into the NDA Council of Ministers.