L. Murugan Resigns as Union Minister, Seeks to Focus on Building BJP in Tamil Nadu

Union Minister of State L. Murugan resigned from the Council of Ministers on Tuesday (October 13, 2026), stating that he wished to return to Tamil Nadu to work on strengthening the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the State.

Mr. Murugan held charge as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said it was the "greatest honour" of his life to serve "Bharat Mata" and Tamil Nadu under the Prime Minister's leadership.

He wrote: "With humility and grateful heart, I therefore request you to relieve me of my responsibility as MoS and permit me to relinquish my membership of the Rajya Sabha, so that I may dedicate full time to strengthening the party in Tamil Nadu."

The letter makes two distinct requests — relief from ministerial office, and permission to give up his seat in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of Parliament.

Under Article 75 of the Constitution, ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister and hold office during the President's pleasure. A minister's resignation is submitted to the President and is normally routed through the Prime Minister. A member of the Rajya Sabha who wishes to resign writes to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who is the Vice-President of India, under Article 101(3)(b) of the Constitution; the seat falls vacant once the resignation is accepted.

Since Rajya Sabha members are elected by the elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies, a mid-term vacancy in a State's quota is filled through a by-election held by MLAs, and the member so elected serves only the remaining portion of the term.

Mr. Murugan is a senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu. The party has historically held only a small number of seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, and its leadership has repeatedly stated its intention to expand its base in the State, where alliance arithmetic has long shaped electoral outcomes.

Ministers stepping down to take up full-time organisational work is not unusual in Indian politics. Parties frequently ask senior leaders to concentrate on a particular State or on preparing for an election, and such decisions are generally read as an indication of where a party intends to invest its political effort.

Mr. Murugan's letter frames the move in those terms: he has asked to be relieved of his ministerial duties so that he can devote his full time to the party organisation in Tamil Nadu.

The reallocation of the two portfolios he held, and the filling of the resulting vacancy in the Rajya Sabha, will be matters for the government and the Election Commission respectively. No announcements on either were contained in the letter.