Who is BJP Tamil Nadu chief L Murugan, newly inducted into Union Cabinet

Murugan unsuccessfully contested the 2011 state elections from Rasipuram (Reserved) constituency in Salem. He garnered more than 1,700 votes and secured the third position. In March 2020, Murugan was appointed as Tamil Nadu BJP’s president as the seat fell vacant in September 2019 with the appointment of Tamilisai Soundarajan as Telegana State Governor.

At the organisational level, Murugan rose to the top by strengthening the party. He roped in senior leaders from other parties, organised events such as the ‘Vel Yatra’, which gave wide visibility to the party ahead of the assembly polls. In the recently concluded Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Murugan lost to DMK’S N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj in the Dharapuram constituency by a margin of 812 votes but, for the first time in two decades, four BJP members were elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative assembly.