BENGALURU: Newly-appointed BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi is likely to get complete responsibility of party work in Tamil Nadu, ahead of the Assembly elections in 2021. Former Congress spokesperson and actor Khushbu Sundar’s induction into the party in New Delhi on Monday has given Ravi a good start at the national level, said party sources.
After he was appointed general secretary, Ravi submitted his resignation as tourism minister to focus on party work. During his visit to New Delhi last week, to attend the office-bearers’ meeting, top BJP leaders reportedly told Ravi to look after party work in Karnataka and other southern states. This is said to be a temporary arrangement till the party appoints in-charge general secretaries for those states. On October 17, he will visit Chennai to interact with Tamil Nadu BJP leaders.
On Monday, Ravi welcomed Khushbu into the party. Though it was being discussed for the past few days, the former Congress spokesperson joining BJP a week after Ravi was made temporary in-charge of the state, has given him a good start. Former IPS officer K Annamalai, who was posted in Karnataka, too joined the BJP in Tamil Nadu recently. Annamalai was Superintendent of Police in Chikkamagaluru, which is represented by Ravi in the Karnataka assembly.
Sources in the BJP told The New Indian Express that in 2016, B L Santosh was made overall in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Kerala polls, and Nalin Kumar Kateel and CT Ravi had worked under him. This experience will help Ravi get a hold in Tamil Nadu elections next year,” sources said. Ravi, fourth-term MLA from Chikkamagaluru, has a strong RSS background. Sources said Chikkamagaluru was Congress turf which Ravi turned into a saffron bastion.