L Murugan has resigned as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, saying he wants to focus on strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu. In a 5-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Murugan also said he would leave the Rajya Sabha.
Murugan asked to be relieved of his responsibilities so he could devote his time to the party's work in Tamil Nadu. He described serving the country and the state under Modi's leadership as the greatest honour of his life.
What Murugan wrote
In the letter, Murugan recalled his background in a poor family and said his parents worked as labourers. He also expressed gratitude for being given responsibilities as a minister and parliamentarian.
Murugan said he had spent about 30 years working with the BJP and the ABVP. He described his guiding principle as putting the nation first, the party second and himself last.
Murugan is from Tamil Nadu but represents Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha. His term was due to continue until April 2030. His letter said he would give up that membership as part of his decision to concentrate on Tamil Nadu.
Recent Tamil Nadu election result
The resignation follows Murugan's contest in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. He stood from the Avinashi (SC) constituency and finished second, receiving more than 56,200 votes.
He lost by 15373 votes to Kamali S., the candidate of TVK, the party associated with actor Thalapathy Vijay. The election results were announced on 4 May.
The result placed Murugan's political work in Tamil Nadu alongside his decision to leave his ministerial responsibilities. His stated aim is to spend more time building the BJP's organisation in the state.
Family background
Murugan belongs to the Arunthathiyar community, a Scheduled Caste community. His parents, Loganathan and Varudammal, live in a small house in Kunnur village in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district.
They continued working as daily-wage labourers even after Murugan became a Union minister. Reports about his family also said that his father stood in a queue with other residents to receive a COVID-19 vaccine after Murugan had become a BJP state president.
Varudammal said the family had not created her son's future for him and that his position reflected his own effort. She also said the family was proud of him and continued working in the fields after hearing that he had become a minister.
Conclusion
Murugan has resigned from his Union ministerial roles and said he would leave the Rajya Sabha to focus on strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu, where he recently finished second in the Avinashi Assembly contest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which ministerial roles did L Murugan resign from?
He resigned as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs.
Q. What did Murugan say about his Rajya Sabha membership?
In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said he would give up his Rajya Sabha membership.
Q. Why did Murugan say he was stepping down?
He said he wanted to devote his time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
Q. Which seat did Murugan contest in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election?
He contested the Avinashi (SC) constituency.
Q. How did Murugan perform in that election?
He finished second, received more than 56,200 votes and lost by 15373 votes to Kamali S.
