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In Annamalai’s absence, BJP constitutes a six-member committee headed by H Raja to look after party activities in Tamil Nadu

JP Nadda's decision puts an end to speculations about change in Tamil Nadu BJP leadership amid its performance in Lok Sabha elections.

Baskar P

Published Aug 30, 2024 | 7:59 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 30, 2024 | 7:59 PM

BJP committee to oversee party activities in Annamalai's absence

BJP leaders Annamalai, JP Nadda and H Raja

A day after Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai left for London to pursue a course in political science, the BJP’s national president, JP Nadda has put an end to speculations about whether he will be replaced as the state chief of the party.

On Friday, 30 August, JP Nadda announced the formation of a coordination committee, which will be tasked with monitoring and managing the activities of the state BJP unit.

Annamalai left for London on 29 August to pursue a three-month course on politics at Oxford University. His announcement to study abroad came on the heels of the BJP not winning a single seat in Tamil Nadu during the Lok Sabha elections 2024, it gave rise to speculations about change in the state saffron party’s leadership.

However, now, all speculations have been laid to rest and Annamalai, before departing for London, said that he will still keep a close watch on the politics in the state and continue to challenge the ruling party.

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The committee to be headed by H Raja

H. Raja, a senior leader of Tamil Nadu BJP and a member of the party’s national executive committee, has been appointed as the convenor of this committee. He is a member of the RSS and was appointed as the national secretary of the BJP in 2014. He contested in the 1999, 2014, and 2019 parliamentary elections and the 2001, 2006, and 2016 Assembly elections. However, he won only the 2001 Assembly elections.

Apart from Raja, five other BJP leaders, who have been mentioned below will be part of the committee.

  • Chakravarthy: BJP vice-president, who was earlier a part of the actor-politician Sarathkumar’s Samathuva Makkal Katchi will be one of the members.
  • Professor Kanaga Sabapathy was a member of Tamil Nadu BJP’s 2021 election manifesto preparation committee.
  • AP Muruganantham joined the BJP in 1996 and since 1998, he has held many posts including Youth Zone president, Tiruppur District General Secretary, State General Secretary and National General Secretary. He was also the national ice president of the saffron party from 2014 to 2021. He contested in the recently held Lok Sabha elections from Tiruppur constituency but he lost.
  • Rama Srinivasan is a Associate Professor, School of Management at the Thanjavur Sastra University. He has written many research papers on various topics and he also contested in the Lok Sabha elections from Madurai and lost.
  • SR Shekhar, Tamil Nadu state treasurer is also a multifaceted writer, lawyer, politician. He went to jail during the Emergency in 1975 and he is also the survivor of 1998 Coimbatore blast. He is also the publisher of the BJP’s weekly ‘Ore Nadu.’ (One Country)

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Role of the committee

The committee members have been consciously chosen for their experience and knowledge of the political scene in Tamil Nadu. The members are expected to take important decisions in consultation with the state high-level committee and will be assigned one or two zones in the state to look after.

Talking about the development to South First, political commentator Ravindran Duraisamy said, “Annamalai proved his worth by significantly increasing the party’s vote bank in the Lok Sabha elections conducted in 2024. So just for a matter of few months, BJP high command doesn’t want to replace him with someone else.”

(Edited by Neena)

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