Ganesan became instrumental in building the BJP's base in Tamil Nadu, serving in senior roles including state president from 2006 to 2009.
Published Aug 15, 2025 | 8:03 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 15, 2025 | 8:03 PM
La Ganesan
Synopsis: Governor of Nagaland and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader La Ganesan died on Friday, 15 August, aged 80. An RSS man, he played a key role in building the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
Governor of Nagaland and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader La Ganesan died on Friday, 15 August. He was 80.
Ganesan served as Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh (2016–18) before being appointed Governor of Manipur in 2021.
He later held additional charge as Governor of West Bengal in 2022 and had been serving as Governor of Nagaland since February 2023.
Born in Thanjavur, Ganesan remained unmarried and was known for his frugal lifestyle, often seen travelling with just a small bag and minimal entourage.
A polyglot fluent in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam, he was also known for his literary contributions.
His political contemporaries remember him as a disciplined organiser and a bridge-builder in Tamil Nadu politics.
La Ganesan resigned from his post as a Revenue Inspector in the early 1970s to become a full-time Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker. During the Emergency, he lived in hiding for nearly a year to avoid arrest for opposing the suspension of democratic rights.
By the 1980s, he had risen in the RSS and took part in protests against the 1981 Meenakshipuram conversions and mediation efforts during the 1982 Mandaikkadu riots.
In the early 1990s, he joined the BJP and became instrumental in building the party’s base in Tamil Nadu, serving in senior roles including state president from 2006 to 2009.
Ganesan’s political reach extended beyond party lines, and he maintained cordial ties with leaders across the spectrum, from DMK’s M Karunanidhi to leftist leaders.
His political career was not without controversy. In 2017, his remark on the Neduvasal hydrocarbon project, suggesting “there is nothing wrong in sacrificing a state for the welfare of the country”, drew sharp criticism.
