CHENNAI: For the third consecutive day, more Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) functionaries in Tamil Nadu, particularly from the IT wing, left the party. They are most likely to join the AIADMK.
As many as 13 functionaries from the IT and Social Media wing of the Chennai West district unit of the BJP led by president Orathi Anbarasu on Wednesday resigned from their party posts.
"We have decided to follow the path shown by our leader and former BJP State IT Wing Chief CTR Nirmal Kumar," Orathi Anbarasu told TNIE. He added that their team felt at home when Nirmal Kumar was heading their wing but after he left, it had become uncomfortable for them to continue in the BJP.
Nirmal Kumar on Sunday had posted a letter on Twitter announcing his resignation and alleged that the BJP's leadership is working against the interests of its own cadres. "I have travelled for the last 1.5 years through as many dilemmas as I could. I have worked honestly and hard but only left with pain", tweeted Kumar. The AIADMK too announced that Nirmal Kumar had joined the regional party.
Meanwhile, Gomathi, deputy president of the OBC wing of the BJP's Thoothukudi north district unit, on Wednesday joined the AIADMK in the presence of former Minister Kadambur Raju.
On Tuesday, BJP Intellectual Wing State Secretary Krishnan, IT wing State secretary Dileep Kannan, Trichy Rural District Vice President Vijay and State OBC Wing Secretary Ammu joined AIADMK and met the party's interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).
Meanwhile, talking to reporters at the AIADMK headquarters, the party's organising secretary D Jayakumar said, "Functionaries from other parties are joining the AIADMK of their own volition. Political leaders including BJP State president K Annamalai should have the maturity to accept that."
BJP functionaries have been asking questions on social media about how EPS can welcome BJP officials despite the AIADMK being their alliance partner. On Twitter, BJP Sports and Skill Development State President Amar Prasad Reddy said, "AIADMK being an alliance partner shouldn't have done this".
When questioned whether the current war of words between the functionaries of the AIADMK and the BJP would harm the alliance between the two parties, Jayakumar said, "Already, EPS and Annamalai have clarified that the alliance between the parties would continue for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, certain functionaries are expressing their views."
War of words continue
AIADMK IT Wing Zonal Secretary Kovai Sathyan on Wednesday on Twitter called BJP state chief K Annamalai 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.
Meanwhile, Annamalai was quoted as telling ANI, "Some four BJP leaders have joined AIADMK...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 the BJP is growing".
Reacting to Annamalai's comments, AIADMK IT Wing Secretary Singai Ramachandran replied 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). The AIADMK is the organization which won the election single-handedly. It is only a joke to say to develop AIADMK, BJP persons are needed".
(With inputs from T Muruganandham, Express News Service)