Dr Tamilisai Soudrarajan

Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan was born on 2 June 1961 in Kaliyakkavilai, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, into a family with a strong political background; her father, Kumari Ananthan, was a senior Congress leader and former MP. She completed her MBBS from Madras Medical College and further trained in obstetrics, gynaecology, sonology, and fetal therapy, practising as a physician and serving as an assistant professor before entering full-time politics.

She entered politics through the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), starting in organisational roles from 1999 onward. Over the years she served as South Chennai District Medical Wing Secretary (1999), State General Secretary (Medical Wing, 2001), All India Co-Convenor (Medical Wing for Southern States, 2005), State General Secretary (2007), State Vice-President (2010), National Secretary (2013), and was appointed President of the BJP Tamil Nadu unit in 2014, significantly expanding the party’s presence in the state.

Dr Tamilisai contested elections several times earlier in her career, including Assembly elections and the 2009 Lok Sabha poll, but was not elected to the legislature. She continued to campaign extensively across Tamil Nadu and remained active in party organisation and public outreach.

On 8 September 2019, she was appointed as the 2nd Governor of Telangana, becoming the first woman to hold that post. She also took additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on 18 February 2021. Her term in these constitutional positions continued until 18 March 2024, when she resigned to re-enter active politics.

After resigning as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Dr Tamilisai rejoined the BJP on 20 March 2024 in the presence of senior leaders, signalling her return to active electoral politics and party work ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. As of 2025 and early 2026, she remains involved in BJP politics in Tamil Nadu and engages in public campaigning and party advocacy.