Chennai: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman has sought an explanation from Tamil Nadu BJP functionaries on why several party office-bearers rallied behind former state president K Annamalai after he launched a new organisation.
According to party sources, Annamalai quit the BJP after the Assembly election and announced a new platform called “We The Leader”. Following this, a number of state and district-level functionaries reportedly aligned with him.
Among those named by sources are Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president Karu Nagarajan, state secretary Sumathi Venkatesan and former Coimbatore South district president Vasantharajan, along with other office-bearers who are said to have left the party to join Annamalai’s initiative.
Sitaraman, who visited Chennai recently to attend programmes in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, held discussions with state leaders on the political situation. She later met functionaries individually and asked for details on who had moved and what prompted the shift.
Leaders told her that some joined Annamalai because they liked his style of functioning, while others did so due to dissatisfaction with the party’s state and district leadership. Sources added that several functionaries also raised their demands and spoke about difficulties they face within the party, and that Sitaraman is expected to brief the BJP leadership, with organisational changes in the state unit being discussed.
