The TN leaders raised two complaints, one against Annamalai, and another on the rising Brahmin dominance in the party.
Published Sep 03, 2025 | 9:05 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 03, 2025 | 9:39 PM
K Annamalai skipped the meeting, even as BJP state president Nainar Nagendran and others met Amit Shah at the latter's residence. (File photo)
Synopsis: Amit Shah is said to have delivered a hard talk to the leaders who visited him to discuss means to strengthen alliances ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections and resolve internal rifts.
Senior BJP leaders from Tamil Nadu met Amit Shah at his New Delhi residence and discussed means to strengthen alliances ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections and resolve internal rifts.
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran, Union Minister L Murugan, senior leaders Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamilisai Soundararajan, H Raja, Vanathi Srinivasan, Kesava Vinayagam, central observers Aravind Menon and Sudhakar Reddy, among others, attended the meeting that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours.
Former state president, K Annamalai, however, was conspicuous by his absence, though he, too, was invited.
Interestingly, the leader who went to Shah’s residence together left separately. Political observers felt the meeting might have witnessed some hard talk.
Sources in Delhi said Shah stressed that factionalism and frequent disagreements among the state leadership were hurting the BJP’s growth in Tamil Nadu. He urged the leaders to set aside their differences ahead of the elections.
Two major complaints dominated the discussions, sources said. The first centered on Annamalai. Leaders reportedly carried two written complaints to Delhi, with the one concerning Annamalai being the most significant.
This is said to be the reason for Annamalai skipping the meeting. When Shah heard the complaints, he reportedly rebuked the leaders, asking how the BJP could hope to grow in Tamil Nadu — especially when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has multiple visits to the state planned — if such visible infighting continued.
The second major complaint was on the increasing “Brahmin dominance” within the party, something several Tamil Nadu leaders reportedly flagged to Shah.
With Modi scheduled to visit Tamil Nadu later this month, Shah is said to have instructed the state unit to resolve the disputes before his arrival.
The consultation also touched upon strengthening existing alliances, bringing in new partners, and preparing the organisation for the elections.
It is also noteworthy that Annamalai, who did not attend the meeting, spent the entire day in Coimbatore attending wedding functions.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
