Since January 2023, 16 Tamil Nadu BJP functionaries have resigned after having found fault with its state president K Annamalai.
Orathi Anbarasu, IT Wing chief of the party's Chennai West unit, and 12 others, quit the party but also clarified that they would not join the ruling DMK. (Twitter)
Defections from the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP continued on Wednesday, 8 March, as 13 more party functionaries — including an IT Wing office-bearer — quit the saffron party.
Orathi Anbarasu, IT Wing chief of the party’s Chennai West unit, and 12 others quit the BJP and also clarified that they would not join the ruling DMK.
They would, instead, follow the political path of their “leader” and former state IT wing chief CTR Nirmal Kumar, who quit the BJP on 5 March and joined the AIADMK.
A couple of other party functionaries also left the BJP and joined the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK, which led to a war of words between the two allies.
In a statement, Anbarasu said that he had been in the BJP for a long time. He added that that he did not want to fall prey to “conspiracies” in the party, and was therefore quitting it.
— Orathi_Anbarasu Say No To Drugs & DMK (@Orathi_Anbarasu) March 8, 2023
Responding to a query raised by reporters in Coimbatore, BJP state president K Annamalai said that the issue of some second or third-rung leaders leaving the party had acquired larger dimensions as other parties were keenly watching the developments in the BJP.
“There are possibilities of some big leaders leaving BJP and big leaders coming to the party after three months,” he said.
Annamalai said that he had not joined the BJP to have an MP or MLA tag behind his name, but for the growth of the party.
On 5 March, CTR Nirmal Kumar took to Twitter to announce that he was leaving the BJP. He also lashed out against Annamalai.
என்னால் முடிந்த வரை பல சங்கடங்களை கடந்து கடந்த 1.5 ஆண்டுகளாக பயணித்தேன்!
உண்மையாக நேர்மையாக உழைத்தேன், வேதனை மட்டுமே மிச்சம்!
விடைபெறுகிறேன் 🙏 pic.twitter.com/jcXAtJroid
— CTR.Nirmal kumar (@CTR_Nirmalkumar) March 5, 2023
Within hours of announcing his resignation, he met AIADMK interim chief Edappadi K Palaniswami and joined the main Opposition party.
Kumar, in a statement, alleged that the state leadership of the BJP was showing disregard towards party workers and also alleged that Annamalai was surveilling many party workers.
“There is nothing more demeaning than rejoicing at the surveillance of own party members and functionaries,” Kumar, a Madurai-based party worker, said.
Just a day after Nirmal Kumar’s announcement, Dilip Kannan too took to Twitter to announce his decision to leave the party “with a heavy heart”.
Dilip, who was the Tamil Nadu BJP IT Wing secretary, also found fault with the state party leadership, just like Nirmal Kumar.
He claimed that Annamalai said that he would create 500 leaders when he assumed office.
“God knows how many people he created in these 20 months. He was careful not to let even one person get the media limelight,” he said.
In January this year, actor-turned-politician Gayathri Raghuramm resigned.
In a series of tweets, she alleged that women in the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP were not safe under Annamalai’s leadership, and warned them that they were on their own.
She said, “Nobody cares about true karyakartas, the only goal is to chase away true karyakartas by Annamalai… Today I took this hasty decision & credit goes to Annamalai… He is Cheap tactic liar and adharmic leader. [sic]”
She added, “I cannot continue under Annamalai leadership. Cannot expect social justice. Women stay safe don’t trust that someone will save you. No one is going to come. You are on your own. Believe yourself. Never stay where you are not respected. [sic]”
(With PTI Inputs)
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