BJP state president Annamalai paid a visit to former Governor and BJP candidate for the South Chennai constituency, Tamilisai Soundararajan, at her Saligramam residence on Friday. This unexpected visit follows rumors of an intra-party feud within the Tamil Nadu BJP after their poor performance in the recent parliamentary elections, where they did not win a single seat in the state.
After the meeting, Annamalai shared a photo on social media, praising Soundararajan’s political experience. “Asserting that the lotus will surely bloom in Tamil Nadu, Tamilisai Soundararajan worked hard for it, her political experience and advice continues to provide inspiration for the development of the party,” Annamalai wrote.
இன்றைய தினம், மூத்த பாஜக தலைவர்களில் ஒருவரும், @BJP4Tamilnadu மாநிலத் தலைவராகத் திறம்படச் செயல்பட்டவருமான, அக்கா திருமதி @DrTamilisai4BJP அவர்கள் இல்லத்திற்குச் சென்று நேரில் சந்தித்ததில் பெருமகிழ்ச்சி.
தமிழகத்தில் தாமரை நிச்சயம் மலரும் என்பதை உறுதியுடன் கூறி, அதற்காகக் கடினமாக… pic.twitter.com/q22Iz7mYlv
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 14, 2024
Soundararajan also shared Annamalai’s post, expressing her happiness at meeting him.
The BJP’s electoral defeat has reportedly triggered internal strife, with some members criticizing Annamalai’s leadership and his decision to end the alliance with AIADMK. The discord grew when Tamilisai Soundararajan, who lost in the South Chennai constituency, openly criticized Annamalai’s faction, sparking backlash from his supporters on social media.
Compounding the controversy, a video emerged showing Amit Shah apparently reprimanding Tamilisai Soundararajan at Chandrababu Naidu’s swearing-in ceremony in Andhra Pradesh. Tamilisai later clarified that Shah’s comments were advisory. In a post on ‘X’ on Thursday evening, Soundararajan stated that she met Shah for the first time since the Lok Sabha results and discussed “post-poll follow-up.”
“Yesterday as I met our Honorable Home Minister Sri @AmitShah ji in AP for the first time after the 2024 Elections he called me to ask about post poll followup and the challenges faced. As I was elaborating, due to paucity of time with utmost concern, he adviced to carry out the political and constituency work intensively which was reassuring. This is to clarify all unwarranted speculations,” she wrote.