Chennai:
The speculation of Tamil Nadu BJP state -headed Annimalai is in full swing. In such a situation, Annamalai itself has given air to these speculations and said that he is not in the race for the next state president of the party. BJP sources said that Palaniswami of AIADMK chief Edapaddi has laid down the condition of removing Annamalai for the first alliance with the party before next year’s Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Annamalai criticized the AIADMK leaders, which was seen in 2023 as the main reason for the party to break ties with the BJP.
Answering a question in Coimbatore on Friday, Annamalai said, “I am not in the race to become the next president of Tamil Nadu BJP. However, in 2021, the BJP has not got any special electoral benefit in Tamil Nadu to make Annamalai a state officer in 2021. However, 40 -year -old Annamalai is given a more important identity to the party and the state. Has happened
DMK’s staunch critics are Annimalai
Annamalai is the former IPS officer, engineer and MBA. He is considered among the most staunch critics of the ruling DMK. In December last year, he made a nationwide headlines for hitting themselves six times to start a big protest against DMK after raping a student of Anna University in Chennai, Chennai.
He had said, “Any person who understands Tamil culture can understand it. To whip himself, punish himself, it is part of this culture … This protest is not against any particular person or thing, it is against the constant injustice happening in the state.”
Punishment or promotion to Annamalai?
BJP sources said that Annamalai will be told that his removal is not a punishment but an attempt to expand the party in the state. Also, the possibility of a big role for him in the party or central government has not been ruled out. Annamalai’s erstwhile L Murugan was also made the Union Minister after being removed from the post of Tamil Nadu unit of BJP.
Sources said that last month, when Palaniswami met senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, he had conditioned to remove Annamalai to form an alliance with the party again. AIADMK feels that Annamalai has tried to present his prominence in the state alliance and has tried to present itself as the main opposition in Tamil Nadu. Annamalai criticized AIADMK leaders, causing things to worse.
This reason is also against Annamalai
Another reason for working against Annamalai is that he comes from the Gounder community, from which Palaniswami also comes. The BJP can try to balance caste equations to get a better opportunity in the assembly elections. Annamalai is the chief ministerial contender and AIADMK is seeing him as a direct challenge for Palaniswami.
Palaniswami can meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tamil Nadu on Sunday. During this visit, the Pamban railway bridge connecting Rameswaram to the mainland will be inaugurated. The coalition is expected to be negotiated during this visit and after that the new president of BJP can be announced.