Wish to return to grassroots

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan on Tuesday resigned from both his ministerial posts and his membership of the Rajya Sabha.

In a post on X, he said, "It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve Bharat Mata and Tamil Nadu under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri@narendramodiJi. From the son of daily wage labourers to serving in the Union Council of Ministers under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri

@narendramodi Ji has been the greatest privilege of my life. Now, I wish to return to the grassroots, stand with our karyakartas and dedicate myself full-time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections."

Murugan was first elected to Rajya Sabha in 2021 and then for the second term in 2024.

In his resignation letter, Murugan said he also wanted to take PM Modi's message of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwaas to people across Tamil Nadu and help prepare the party for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he was defeated by DMK's A Raja in the Nilgris constituency with a margin of 240,585 votes.

Murugan thanked the PM for giving him the opportunity to serve in the Union government, describing it as the greatest honour of his life. Recalling his humble background, he said he came from a poor family and that his parents, who worked as daily wage labourers and cattle grazers, continued to lead a simple life in Konur village.

“I do not come from a political family. I come from a very poor family,” he wrote, adding that his parents could never have imagined that their son would one day serve in the Union government.

Murugan traced his political journey to his college days, when he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), inspired by the nationalist ideals of Mahakavi Bharati, Sardar Patel and Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He said his guiding principle through nearly three decades in the ABVP and BJP had remained “Nation First, Party Next, Self Last”.

Murugan also praised PM Modi's leadership and support for Tamil Nadu, citing projects including the Chennai Metro, the expansion of Tuticorin Port and highways, and the redevelopment of 26 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

He said Modi's recognition of grassroots party workers had reinforced his belief that dedication and service could create opportunities irrespective of family background.

“The love and hope I witnessed during your recent visit have strengthened my conviction that there is much more we can achieve in Tamil Nadu,” Murugan wrote, referring to Modi's recent visit to the state.

He requested PM Modi to relieve him of his ministerial responsibilities and permit him to relinquish his Rajya Sabha membership so that he could focus entirely on strengthening the BJP's organisation in Tamil Nadu.