Annamalai says he has given BJP national leaders a detailed study on Tamil Nadu

BJP State president presents detailed analysis of Tamil Nadu to national leaders, discusses potential alliance with AIADMK.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Annamalai on Sunday said as a “cadre and leader” he has done a micro analysis of Tamil Nadu and presented to the party’s national leaders a detailed study, with proof, on how the State is at present and how it should go forward.

When asked by the media in Coimbatore on the likelihood of an alliance between the BJP and the AIADMK, he said he would not want to talk about it. He had given the national leaders the views of the party cadre, the political field in Tamil Nadu, how it had changed, etc.

There are five zones in Tamil Nadu. Chennai and the surrounding areas have 36 Assembly seats, the western districts have 54 and the districts south of Madurai have 60. If a party or alliance should win 150 seats it should sweep three of the five zones and to get 180-190 seats, it needs to win in four zones. “Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about it (AIADMK-BJP alliance) recently at a function. You can take that as the final view,” he said.

Mr. Annamalai said he was clear in his stand. “I have been open about my stand and there is no change in it. I have also said that I am ready to work as a cadre. I did not come to politics for power. I came to create a change in Tamil Nadu politics... My duty is to give accurate, perfect, and neutral feedback so that the leaders can take the right decision and I have done that,” he said. He wanted to see Tamil Nadu and the BJP grow in the State.

On AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami meeting the Union Home Minister recently in Delhi, he said there was nothing wrong in it. There was no need for the party (BJP) to meet anyone discreetly.

On the DMK’s allegation that the Centre had not released the entire amount for MGNREGA to the State, he said Tamil Nadu received the highest of ₹39,339 crore compared with other States in the last four years. States that have three to five times more rural population than Tamil Nadu received lesser funds.

“I have written to the Central government and asked for a special committee to audit it (MGNREGA in the State.”