Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan Resigns, Likely To Contest LS Polls: Sources

Soundararajan is expected to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Source : PTI

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan resigned from her office on Monday. Sources from the governor's office confirmed ABP Desam about Tamilsai's resignation. Speculations are rife that the former Tamil Nadu BJP President may contest the Lok Sabha 2024 polls from Tuticorin against Kanimozhi like the 2019 Lok Sabha polls or from Puducherry. She also resigned from the post of Puducherry's Lieutenant Governor's position, as per the statement issued by the Raj Bhavan. 

"The Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan has tendered her resignation with immediate effect. The resignation has been submitted to the President of India," reads the official statement. 

She has submitted her resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Monday. 

Soundararajan, aged 62, assumed office as the second Governor of the then-newly formed state of Telangana in November 2019. Subsequently, she was assigned the additional responsibility of Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry in February 2021.

After the removal of Kiran Bedi, Soundararajan was appointed as the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry, in addition to her existing responsibilities.

The daughter of veteran Congress leader Kumari Ananthan, she has been associated with the BJP for over two decades before assuming the role of Governor.

Hailing from the influential Nagar community, Tamilisai faced a significant defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections against DMK’s Kanimozhi in Thoothukudi. There's speculation that she may be nominated as a BJP candidate in the future.

Earlier on Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. As per the schedule, the general assembly polls will be conducted from April 19 to June 1, 2024. The Lok Sabha elections are slated to be held in seven phases. The countings of the vote for the 18th Lok Sabha elections will be held on June 4.