Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan Resigns, Likely To Contest Lok Sabha Polls

Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan sent her resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Monday. Tamilisai also resigned from the post of Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, following discussions with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national leadership. She is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu.

“The Hon’ble Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr.Smt.Tamilisai Soundararajan has tendered her resignation with immediate effect. The resignation has been submitted to the Hon’ble President of India,” Raj Bhavan said in a statement.

Soundararajan’s resignation came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold an election rally in Telangana’s Jagtial and a roadshow in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore.

“She has been asked to be prepared to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu or Puducherry,” sources said.

Tamilisai took the decision after informing Modi, who had stayed put at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday night, the official said. She expressed her desire to return to active politics by fighting the Lok Sabha elections.

Speculation suggests that Tamilisai is likely to get the BJP’s ticket for the Central Madras constituency, presently held by DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran. However, Puducherry, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari constituencies are being considered as potential options for her candidature.

Tamilisai was appointed as Governor of Telangana on September 1, 2019, and was later given the additional charge of Lt. Governor of Puduchhery on February 18, 2021.

She had served as the BJP’s state president for Tamil Nadu from August 16, 2014, until her appointment as Telangana’s governor.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Tamilisai contested from the Thoothukudi constituency, facing defeat against DMK’s Kanimozhi. Her previous electoral attempt in 2014 saw her contesting from the North Chennai constituency, where she was defeated by DMK’s TKS Elangovan.