Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran on Friday asserted that former state chief K Annamalai's decision to quit the party and launch his own outfit would neither be a loss nor a setback for the BJP.
"There will be no loss to the BJP due to his (Annamalai's) resignation. There won't be any setback to the BJP, which is the biggest party in the world. The party will remain steadfast on its ideology," he told reporters in Chennai.
On Annamalai's decision to launch his own political party, the state BJP chief said everyone was free to start a political party in a democracy.
Nagenthran also rejected the allegation that importance was not being given to the state as incorrect, saying that whenever Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited any country, he spoke about Tamil Nadu, its heritage and greatness.
Meanwhile, MDMK leader Durai Vaiko hailed Annamalai's decision to quit the BJP and launch his own party. "I wish my brother Annamalai all success and hope that he goes by the Dravidian ideology," he told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Annamalai, who quit the BJP, said his goals are bigger and that he would launch a new political party with an inclusive agenda and fight the next polls in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media address, Annamalai, who had been with the BJP for about six years, said: "I have quit BJP in a dignified manner, to usher in a new kind of politics."
The goals are bigger and more people have to be taken along and "from today onwards, a new path, a new movement, a new political movement," he said, adding a new party would be launched which would fight the next polls in the state.
The new movement proposed to be launched must, from the foundation level, have new dimensions and a new perspective, he said.