CHENNAI: BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran on Friday announced that he will contest the upcoming Assembly election from Sattur, confirming weeks of speculation over his shift from Tirunelveli, a constituency he has represented multiple times.
Talking to reporters in Kanniyakumari, he said, “The NDA will certainly win across constituencies. I will contest from Sattur,” while adding that the party’s national leadership would decide on former state president K Annamalai’s candidature. He also urged the State government to cut fuel taxes, noting that the Centre had already reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel.
Notably, Nainar Nagenthran made the announcement ahead of the formal release of the BJP’s candidate list. His move comes after Tirunelveli was not allotted to the party in the AIADMK-led alliance this time, triggering questions over his electoral choice.
Since 2001, Nainar Nagenthran has been a recurring figure in Tirunelveli, winning multiple terms. The constituency, however, has a long-standing pattern of alternating electoral outcomes, often cited by late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi as politically unpredictable.
Sattur, in contrast, has largely been an AIADMK bastion, though it is currently held by the DMK. The constituency has witnessed shifting loyalties over decades, with leaders such as minister KKSSR Ramachandran playing a decisive role in its electoral history.
Party insiders say Nainar Nagenthran’s personal vote base and his caste background could make the contest competitive in Sattur, turning it into a key battleground in the southern region.