Thiruvananthapuram, (Keralam) [India], April 3 : BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Friday described BJP National Executive Member K Annamalai as the "most popular leader of the BJP" after the party left him out of the candidates list for the forthcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
While campaigning for the BJP ahead of the Keralam assembly polls, the BJP MP said that, owing to Annamalai's popularity, the party has made him responsible for campaigning for all candidates, which Surya said will translate into victory for the party candidates across the state.
"Annamalai is the most popular leader of the BJP, not just in Tamil Nadu, but he commands a large following all over the country. He has been given the responsibility of campaigning for all the candidates in Tamil Nadu. Even today, he is in Keralam where he enjoys a great following. He is also campaigning in Puducherry, where people are crazy about him. I am extremely confident that Annamalai's popularity and his campaign all across Tamil Nadu will translate into victory for the BJP candidates all across the state...," he said.
Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, after negotiations within the NDA alliance.
While senior leaders like Tamilisai Soundararajan (Mylapore), Vanathi Srinivasan (Coimbatore North), and Union Minister L. Murugan (Avinashi) have been fielded, Annamalai's name is nowhere to be found on the list.
The BJP's first candidate list sent shockwaves through the state's political circles. K Annamalai, the aggressive "Singham" of the Tamil Nadu BJP who was widely expected to lead the charge, is conspicuously absent from the list.
However, K Annamalai said that he will continue to campaign for the upcoming assembly polls despite being absent from the party's candidate list in Tamil Nadu, calling it his "responsibility."
Speaking with the mediapersons in Keralam's Kannur after a public meeting here, Annamalai described campaigning in Puducherry, Kerala and Tamil Nadu for the BJP as his "role" in the upcoming elections.
"... In this election, my role is to campaign for candidates across Tamil Nadu. Right now, the party has given me the responsibility to campaign in Puducherry and Kerala till the 7th (April). From the 7th to the 23rd, I have to campaign for all BJP and NDA candidates across Tamil Nadu. That is the responsibility given by the party to me. I'll be fulfilling that responsibility," he said.
Notably, Annamalai, the former IPS officer, is a key figure in the party's aggressive expansion strategy in South India. He's often seen as a direct representative of PM Narendra Modi's vision, frequently appearing alongside him at major rallies.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, covering a total of 234 constituencies in the State. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.