Who Is The Governor Of Tamil Nadu? Meet RSS Veteran Rajendra Arlekar At The Centre Of Vijay’s CM Drama

Tamil Nadu politics has entered a dramatic phase after TVK chief Vijay emerged as the single-largest leader with 108 seats but still fell short of the 118-seat majority mark needed to form the government. Amid the uncertainty over whether Vijay will be able to take oath, all eyes have now shifted to the governor of Tamil Nadu, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who is currently handling one of the most politically sensitive moments in the state. Sources said the governor of Tamil Nadu is not yet convinced that Vijay has the numbers required to form a stable government. Congress support has provided some relief to TVK, but the party still remains short of the majority mark. As political negotiations continue behind closed doors, Arlekar has suddenly become the constitutional face of a possible turning point in Tamil Nadu politics.

From RSS Shakhas in Goa to becoming the governor of Tamil Nadu

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s political journey began long before he entered constitutional office. Born in Panaji in 1954, he grew up in Goa during the years following liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961. At that time, the RSS network in Goa was still very small and operated more through ideology than political power.

The governor of Tamil Nadu entered that environment as a child during the 1960s. He later recalled that early RSS workers in Goa functioned almost like one extended family. Meetings were small, resources were limited, and workers often travelled long distances to organise gatherings. Those years shaped Arlekar’s political thinking and organisational discipline.

An emergency jail term became a defining chapter in his political life

One of the biggest turning points in Arlekar’s life came during the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi between 1975 and 1977. Arlekar and his father were jailed for participating in anti-Emergency protests linked to the RSS movement.

Like many leaders from the BJP-RSS generation, the governor of Tamil Nadu later described the Emergency period as a political awakening. He reportedly believed the prison experience strengthened his understanding that democratic freedom should never be taken lightly. Within Sangh circles, he became known as a quiet worker who had “suffered for the movement.”

How Arlekar helped build the BJP in Goa over several decades

In 1989, Arlekar formally joined the BJP when the party was still weak in Goa. Congress remained dominant, while regional forces like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party had a strong hold over state politics. The governor of Tamil Nadu belonged to the same generation as Manohar Parrikar, Shripad Naik and Laxmikant Parsekar, leaders who slowly transformed the BJP into a powerful force in Goa. Unlike Parrikar, who became a mass leader, Arlekar focused more on organisation work. Over the years, he served as Goa BJP general secretary, South Goa BJP president and later state BJP president from 2003 to 2007.

Senior Goa journalist Vithaldas Hegde described Arlekar as “soft spoken with sharp political acumen.” Hegde also said Arlekar “held great regard for journalists” and was twice considered for the chief minister’s post.

The paperless assembly reform and rise to constitutional office

Arlekar first entered the Goa Assembly in 2002 from the Vasco constituency and later returned in 2012 from Pernem. That same year, he became Speaker of the Goa Assembly and introduced one of the most unusual reforms in any Indian legislature, a fully paperless assembly. Many MLAs initially resisted the digital transition, but the governor of Tamil Nadu continued pushing the reform. Goa eventually became India’s first paperless assembly in 2015. Arlekar later joked that convincing politicians to give up paper was harder than introducing technology.

In 2015, he also joined the Goa cabinet as Minister for Forest, Environment and Panchayati Raj. Later, he moved into constitutional positions, becoming the Governor of Himachal Pradesh in 2021, the Bihar Governor in 2023 and the Kerala Governor in 2025.

Why all eyes are now on the governor of Tamil Nadu during Vijay’s big political test

Now, in 2026, the governor of Tamil Nadu finds himself at the centre of one of the biggest political moments in the state in recent years. Vijay’s rise has disrupted Tamil Nadu’s traditional political structure, but the final decision on government formation could depend heavily on Arlekar’s constitutional judgment.

If Vijay eventually proves his majority, the oath may be administered by a soft-spoken RSS veteran from Goa who spent decades believing that “the organisation mattered more than the individual.”

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