R. Rajendran

R. Rajendran was born on 3 June 1959 in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his schooling in Salem and he came from an agricultural family and he achieved both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree which is called LL.B. His college years marked the beginning of his political career which led him to join the DMK student and youth organizations while he climbed the party hierarchy throughout the subsequent years.

The Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi appointed him as District Organizer for the DMK Student Wing in 1985 and he progressed to hold various leadership positions within the youth organization starting from his role as State Youth Wing Deputy Secretary. His organizational activities resulted in building his support base throughout the Salem region and additional territories.

Rajendran entered electoral politics successfully in 2006 when he won the Panamarathupatty Assembly constituency as a DMK candidate. He used his first legislative term to establish himself politically but the seat was abolished before the next elections which followed his first term. He became the elected MLA for Salem North constituency in 2016 and he maintained his seat in 2021 which demonstrated his ongoing popularity among voters.

R. Rajendran joined the Tamil Nadu Cabinet in September 2024 when he became Minister for Tourism. His work includes policy oversight for tourism development and related economic sectors.

As of 2026, Rajendran continues to serve as Cabinet Minister for Tourism and MLA which allows him to hold both legislative and executive positions within the state government.