Latest news with #Annamalai
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
K Annamalai Unlikely To Fight Tamil Nadu Polls, May Get National Role: Sources
Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K Annamalai is unlikely to contest the assembly elections next year, sources said on Wednesday. The 40-year-old, who became the state party president in 2021 and stepped down in April this year, is likely to be given a responsibility at the national level, the sources added. While an official announcement on his role is awaited, Mr Annamalai exuded confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which the BJP is a part, will win the polls in the southern state next year. "We are soldiers of the party and the party is very clear that the DMK has to be thrown out of power. The party has also made a decision. Our national leaders have made a decision that the elections will be fought under the leadership of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami," he told NDTV. "The BJP is also getting into a battle mode. We have our party chief Nainar Nagendran. The DMK's days are numbered and instead of projecting their achievements, they only want to speak about the BJP and AIADMK. Their house is not in order. The NDA will record a historic victory next year. They (DMK) might reach their historic low of single number of seats," he added. Mr Annamalai made his electoral debut in the 2021 assembly elections from Aravakurichi constituency in Karur district and lost. He contested but lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The possibility of a national role for Mr Annamalai appears to be a reward for his work in the Dravidian heartland. He has been highly critical of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led government and his criticisms were initially supported by his party and its ally, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Relations between the two allies, however, took a hit when Mr Annamalai started targeting the AIADMK leaders. In September 2023, just months before the Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK snapped ties with the BJP reportedly over Mr Annamalai's remarks about AIADMK stalwarts, including former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The poll campaign then for the Parliamentary elections took an interesting turn when Mr Palaniswami called Mr Annamalai a "publicity hound." The latter retaliated by relating Mr Palaniswami to "sour grapes" story for breaking poll ties with the BJP. The two parties contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections separately but, again, were thumped by the DMK. In April this year, the BJP and AIADMK reunited, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah declaring that the 2026 elections will be fought under the leadership of Mr Palaniswami. The BJP has held friendly ties with the AIADMK but has usually been kept at arm's length. The AIADMK has lost - overwhelmingly - all elections in which it allied with the BJP, including the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly polls, prompting it to look on the BJP as a liability ahead of the 2024 elections. In 2021, the AIADMK won just 75 seats - down from 136 five years earlier - and was ousted from power by the DMK-Congress combine.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"PM Modi Wants To Make Cholas Global, DMK Keeping Them Local": K Annamalai To NDTV
Chennai: Former president of the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit K Annamalai on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make the Cholas"global". Speaking to NDTV, a day ahead of PM Modi's visit to Tiruchirappalli to attend a mega festival to celebrate the legacy of Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I (1014-1044 CE), Mr Annamalai also slammed the ruling DMK, saying they want to keep Cholas "local". "Tomorrow is going to be a very, very important day, not just for Tamil Nadu, but for the whole Bharat (India)," he said, referring to the event at the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its intricate sculptures, Chola bronzes, and ancient inscriptions. It also commemorates 1,000 years of the maritime expedition of Rajendra Chola I to South East Asia, Mr Annamalai said. He said that PM Modi, who is visiting Tamil Nadu straight after his "successful" trips to the UK and the Maldives, is trying to put Gangaikonda Cholapuram on the global map. He also praised PM Modi for releasing a commemorative coin honouring Rajendra Chola I. Mr Annamalai said Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK is "nervous" about PM Modi's tour as they have not done anything for the Chola dynasty. "The DMK has never celebrated Cholas," he said, adding that no chief minister from the party has ever visited Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which was the capital city of the dynasty. "When the PM is trying to take Cholas global, the DMK wants it to be local," he said. Speaking on the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which are due next year, Mr Annamalai said the ruling DMK is set for a "historic defeat". "DMK's days are numbered," he said.
The Hindu
20-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
PM holds great respect for Thiruvalluvar and MGR, says Annamalai
Former BJP State president K. Annamalai said in Erode on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held great respect for Thiruvalluvar and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran. Six books authored by S.R. Subramaniyam, a BJP functionary, were released by Ramananda Kumaragurubara Swamigal, Head of Kaumara Mutt, Siravai Adheenam, Coimbatore, and were received by Mr. Annamalai at a function held in the city. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Annamalai said Mr. Modi had observed that the Thirukkural guides people in many aspects of life. Accordingly, during the 2024 General Election, he announced the establishment of Thiruvalluvar cultural centres across the world. 'As a first step, the Thiruvalluvar Chair for Tamil Studies was set up at the University of Houston in the United States,' he said. Mr. Annamalai also pointed out that Mr. Modi renamed the Chennai Central railway station as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, he added.
India Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Is there a trust deficit between AIADMK and BJP? Experts debate
This edition of Super 6 focusses on the emerging cracks within the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2026 elections, highlighting contradictory statements from AIADMK and BJP leaders about the post-election government. AIADMK's Edappadi Palaniswami asserts it will be an AIADMK-led government, while former state BJP chief Annamalai claims it will be a coalition. The show delves into the growing trust deficit within the alliance, featuring a political analyst's perspective on the missing trust factor crucial for ground-level alliance functionality. Additionally, the programme reports on phone-tapping allegations in Telangana involving the previous KCR government and the current Revanth Reddy administration, alongside a ground report on allegations of a mass burial site in Dharmastala, Karnataka.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Alliance matters: Annamalai says Amit Shah wants coalition govt in TN
K Annamalai CHENNAI: Signs of tension building up in the AIADMK-BJP alliance emerged on Thursday, with the two parties engaging in public sparring over sharing of power in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 assembly elections. A day after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said that Union home minister Amit Shah had never spoken about forming a coalition govt in the state, former BJP state president K Annamalai countered the claim, stating that Shah had clearly and repeatedly said he wanted a coalition govt. 'Amit Shah has said not once, but thrice, that there will be a coalition govt in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 elections,' Annamalai told reporters here on Thursday. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai He added that if AIADMK disagreed, they should speak directly with Shah and resolve the issue. He said it was Shah who stitched together the BJP-AIADMK alliance. Annamalai also claimed that parties such as PMK, DMDK and Puthiya Tamizhagam supported the idea of a coalition govt in TN. Annamalai added that his remarks should not been seen as an attempt to create a rift in the alliance. 'Some people might claim that I am saying this in an attempt to break the alliance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo As a BJP worker, I echo my leader's view. If I can't stand by my leader's words, there's no point in being a party cadre,' he said. Annamalai's remarks come against the backdrop of EPS repeatedly dismissing the idea of a coalition govt and asserting that his word was final regarding the AIADMK front in TN. Other senior leaders, though cautious in their remarks, upheld their positions. Union minister of state L Murugan said Shah's statement on the coalition was final as far as BJP is concerned, while AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy had maintained that EPS's stand was final.
