CHENNAI: The BJP seems to be making a tactical shift in its political strategy in Tamil Nadu. In a State that is already known for its ‘personalities-turned-politicians’ — from Karunanidhi to MGR and Jayalalithaa, Vijayakanth to Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan — more of them are being given plum posts in the saffron party, way ahead of the Assembly elections.
Three actresses have been appointed as national general council members of the BJP — Namitha, Kutti Padmini, and Gautami. Actress Gayathri Raghuram, who kept the social media abuzz with controversial statements, returned as the president of Arts & Culture Wing.
While Gautami said it was too early to comment about the elevation, Namitha, who joined the party last November, said she was happy with the new role and would execute her duties responsibly. Educationist Madhuvanthi Arun, whose social media comments have in the past provoked major debates, has also been appointed as national general council member.
Meanwhile, VP Duraisamy, Vanathi Srinivasan, Nainar Nagenthran, and Karuppu Muruganandham became the vice presidents, while KT Raghavan, Prof R Srinivasan, and Karu Nagararajan were appointed general secretaries. Former AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa has been elevated as a member of the national general council.
There were rumours that supporters of former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan have been left out. However, senior functionaries dismissed it saying opportunities were being made available for all. Suba Nagarajan, D Kuppuramu, MS Ramalingam, M Subramanian, C Narasimhan, SK Karvendhan, Thirupathi Narayanan, and K Kanimozhi will function as state spokespersons.