Nagaland Governor and former BJP leader L. Ganesan passes away at 80

L. Ganesan, Governor of Nagaland and former senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, passed away in Chennai on Friday (August 15, 2025) at the age of 80.

He had earlier served as the Governor of Manipur and held the additional charge as the Governor of West Bengal. A bachelor, he had recently celebrated his 80th birthday in a grand manner in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin attended the event.

A few days ago, Ganesan suffered a fall in the bathroom and sustained head injuries, which led to his demise.

A native of Thanjavur district, Ganesan was a passionate admirer of Carnatic music and made it a point of attending the annual Thyagaraja Aradhana in Thiruvaiyaru. His association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) began in his school days, with his family being closely connected to the organisation.

“He was a government employee, working as a Revenue Settlement Inspector, before resigning to become a full-time pracharak of the RSS. He worked primarily in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu and rose to become the chief organiser of the RSS during the Emergency,” said sources in the RSS.

“His role in protecting the Hindu interest in Meenakshipuram religious conversions and Mandaikkadu communal riots were well appreciated by the nationalist leaders of yesteryears. His tireless efforts to bring peace and unity among Hindus in the caste nerve centres of Tamil Nadu, such as Puliangudi and Ramanathapuram, bore fruit, leading to harmony among the people,” says the website of the Nagaland Governor’s office.

In 1991, he was deputed to help build the BJP in Tamil Nadu and subsequently resigned from the RSS as its deputy organising secretary to focus on the party work. He went on to serve as the general secretary and president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit. At the national level, he held the position of BJP vice-president. He contested twice, albeit unsuccessfully, from the South Chennai Lok Sabha constituency.

In 2017, Mr. Ganesan was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, following the appointment of the then MP, Najma Heptulla, as the Governor of Manipur.

Mr. Ganesan also served as the editor of the BJP’s Tamil organ Ore Naadu (One Nation) and was the founding president of Pottramarai (“Golden Lotus”), an organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting Tamil scholars across the globe.