L Murugan, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, has tendered resignation from the post, as well as his Rajya Sabha membership.
The move has further fueled speculation of a cabinet reshuffle. Before Murugan, union ministers George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu also resigned from the cabinet in June and July, respectively. L Murugan is a former president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit and he was elected to the Upper House from Madhya Pradesh. He hails from the Arunthathiyar community and was born to Telugu speaking parents in Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal. After Murugan, K Annamalai was appointed the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief.
He was made the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief in 2020 and entered PM Modi’s Cabinet in July 2021 during a reshuffle.
In a letter, Murugan requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relieve him of his duties and said that he wanted to dedicate his time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
“I do not come from a political family. I come from a very poor family. My parents, who worked as daily wage labourers and cattle grazers, continue to lead a simple life in Konur village. They could never have imagined that their son would one day serve in the Union Government,” he wrote.
He said he was motivated by the prime minister’s dedication to India, Tamil Nadu and the BJP and he feels that he too must now give more of himself to the work that first brought him into public life. In his letter to PM Modi on Tuesday, Murugan recalled his roots and expressed gratitude for being made a union minister under the BJP.
