Annamalai calls on Tamilisai, praises her hardwork for BJP
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Friday met party leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan at her residence in Chennai.
The meeting comes amid speculation of a rift between the two leaders following the party’s dismal performance in Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha elections.
After the meeting, Annamalai wrote on X, “I’m happy to have called on Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, one of the senior leaders and someone who worked well as the state president of TN BJP earlier. Her political experience and advice continue to inspire the party’s growth.”
“When there is a small amount of impurity here and there, it strengthens the system. BJP is a democratic party and people are free to voice their opinion. I have not silenced anyone. I’m a leader who wants everybody to speak, as long as you don’t cross that Lakshman Rekha,” he said.
The BJP chief noted, “In this process, 2-3 comments could be unpalatable. But I’m not bothered about it. If they are impure comments, I use them as manure. If they are pure comments, I use them as strength. In politics, you need both to survive.”
Following the Lok Sabha elections, Soundararajan stated that the party could have performed better in Tamil Nadu had it been in alliance with AIADMK. She also openly backed an AIADMK leader who alleged Annamalai was the reason behind the BJP-AIADMK break-up.
On June 9, a video began circulating on social media where Union Home Minister Amit Shah appeared to be scolding Soundararajan on a stage. Rumours spread that in the video, which was from the swearing-in ceremony of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s, Amit Shah was admonishing Soundararajan for her alleged stance against Annamalai.