Telangana Governor Resigns, May Contest Lok Sabha Polls As BJP Candidate

Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lieutenant-Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan resigned from both posts Monday morning. Sources told NDTV Ms Soundararajan - the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit before her governorship - is expected to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Ms Soundararajan, 62, was sworn in as the then-fledgling Telangana state's second Governor in November 2019, and was given additional charge as Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry in February 2021. She is likely to contest Puducherry's lone Lok Sabha seat, which is held by the Congress.

Sources said the BJP feels Ms Soundararajan may have greater connect with the people of Puducherry. There is also speculation she might be fielded from one of three seats in Tamil Nadu, including the Thoothukudi seat held by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi.

Ms Soundararajan contested the 2019 election from this seat but was handily beaten. She also contested the Chennai (North) seat in 2009 and lost that as well; to TKS Elangovan of the DMK.

She also contested the Tamil Nadu Assembly thrice - from Radhapuram in 2006, Velachery in 2011, and Virugampakkam in 2016. She lost all three elections - the first to the DMK and the latter two to the BJP's ex-allies, the AIADMK, or the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha election - to take place over seven phases starting April 19 - the BJP has been active in the south, where the party has struggled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made five visits to Tamil Nadu this year, where the BJP is without a major alliance partner.