Nagalingam became involved in politics as a student, joining the Tamil Youth Congress. In the 1940s he joined the leftist
Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). At the
1947 parliamentary election Nagalingam stood as the LSSP's candidate in
Kankesanthurai but was defeated by
S. J. V. Chelvanayakam. Nagalingam was a member of the
Senate of Ceylon between 1951 and 1957. At the
March 1960 parliamentary election Nagalingam stood as the LSSP's candidate in
Uduvil but was defeated by
Visvanathan Dharmalingam. He also contested the
July 1960 and
March 1965 parliamentary elections but each time was defeated by Dharmalingam. Nagalingam was chairman of Chunnakam Town Council in the 1960s. ==References==