Is the rise of TN BJP under Annamalai's leadership worrying AIADMK?

Ever since bureaucrat-turned-politician K Annamalai took over the reins of Tamil Nadu BJP many leaders have left the party.

Notably, Gaythri Raghuram quit the party last month claiming that women are not safe in the party under the leadership of K Annamalai, a leader who has given some hope for the saffron party in the state. "I have taken the decision with a heavy heart to resign from TNBJP for not giving opportunity for an enquiry, equal rights & respect for women. Under Annamalai leadership women are not safe. I feel better to be trolled as an outsider," she had tweeted.

Former state secretary of the BJP's IT wing Dilip Kannan was among the former saffron party workers who joined the AIADMK on Tuesday. Kannan and three others, including a woman functionary of the BJP who had quit the party, joined the opposition party in the presence of its interim chief K Palaniswami, an AIADMK release said.

The development comes days after the BJP's then state IT wing chief C T R Nirmal Kumar quit the party and joined the AIADMK, after blaming the saffron party's TN unit chief K Annamalai.

This has triggered fight between on Social Media between AIADMK and BJP supporters.

The BJP Functionaries on their part have raised questions about how Edappadi Palaniswami can welcome them despite being in an alliance with the BJP. In one such Twitter post, BJP Sports and Skill Development State President Amar Prasad Reddy mentioned "AIADMK being an alliance partner shouldn't have done this".

Responding to the development, Annamalai told ANI, "Some four BJP leaders have joined, it's an unfortunate state in Tamil Nadu where Dravidian politicians who think that they run big parties want to poach from BJP and grow their party. That only shows BJP is growing".

Reacting to Annamalai's comments, AIADMK IT Wing Secretary Singai Ramachandran retorted on Twitter, "Once BJP was getting votes lesser than NOTA. In the 2021 election, how BJP MLAs won the election is the answer for this (AIADMK - BJP faced the election as allies). AIADMK is the organization which won the election single-handedly. It is only a joke to say to develop AIADMK, BJP persons are needed".

The AIADMK IT Wing Zonal Secretary Kovai Sathyan on Wednesday criticised BJP state chief K Annamalai, calling him a "branch manager of a corporate".

"Difference between a leader and a manager. Our beloved leader AMMA was chosen by 1.5 crore cadre and so was Karunanidhi by his cadres. As far as BJP TN head is concerned the role is as good as a branch manager of a corporate operating pan India," Sathyan said on Twitter.

This clearly indicates that all is not well with the BJP and AIADMK. More importantly, the two leaves is getting increasingly worried with Annamalai as not only he is getting popularity day-by-day but also the BJP is getting more media attention than before with the saffron party cornering the state government on key issues.