K Annamalai meets Tamilisai Soundararajan, praises her amid rift rumours

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.”

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Speaking to reporters later, commenting on the alleged rift within the Tamil Nadu BJP after the election, Annamalai said, "BJP is a democratic party and people are free to voice their opinion," also noting that some comments were "unpalatable".

"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.

"What he (Velumani) said is realistic. DMK would not have won all the seats had the BJP been in alliance with the AIADMK. This is poll arithmetic. Alliance is but a political strategy... This [Velumani's view] is realistic and should be accepted," she said on June 6.

Without naming anyone, Tamilisai Soundararajan also said there were “criminal elements” in the BJP.

In September 2023, AIADMK broke its ties with the BJP, and one of the reasons projected was K Annamalai’s "unnecessary remarks about AIADMK's former leaders".

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.

However, Soundararajan on Thursday called them “unwarranted” speculations, stating that Amit Shah was advising her to carry out political and constituency work intensively.

"Yesterday, as I met our Honourable Home Minister Sri Amit Shah ji in AP for the first time after the 2024 Elections, he called me to ask about post-poll follow-up and the challenges faced. As I was elaborating, due to the paucity of time, with utmost concern, he advised me to carry out the political and constituency work intensively, which was reassuring. This is to clarify all unwarranted speculations," Soundararajan said in a post on X.

Annamalai said today that the conversation between Soundararajan and Shah was “friendly,” and he added that “some mischievous social media accounts have taken it out of context”.

“Tamilisai ji is a very valued member of our parivar. It was a very gentle, friendly conversation. She also clarified about it yesterday. I visited her house today. She continues to do hard work on the ground. Her clarification has now put everything to rest,” he said.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the DMK succeeded in winning 22 out of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, while its ally Congress won nine seats. Both BJP and AIADMK drew blank in the state.

Soundararajan, who contested from the South Chennai Lok Sabha seat, also faced a massive defeat.

Published By: Ajmal Published On: Jun 14, 2024