CHENNAI: Upon returning to Tamil Nadu after attending a higher education programme at the University of Oxford in England, BJP State President K Annamalai said the vote bank for Dravidian ideology has split in three directions with actor Vijay entering politics. “Vijay’s party, the presence of NTK, two Dravidian majors and other political parties, will make the 2026 Assembly elections a very significant one,” he said.
Answering reporters’ query on whether Vijay’s party will eat into the BJP’s vote share, Annamalai at Chennai airport on Sunday said, “The BJP doesn’t fear anyone. The vote bank of the Dravidian parties has split three ways, while the nationalistic votes for the BJP are on the rise. Vijay’s speeches are almost similar to that of Dravidian parties. So, the people have already assessed who will be affected by the actor’s party.”
Questioned about the speculation that NTK led by Seeman might align with the BJP, he said, “The BJP’s political path is different from that of the path being tread by Seeman. Due to multiple choices, the 2026 Assembly elections will be very significant.”
Annamalai also urged Stalin to constitute a committee of scientists to study how Chennai should equip itself to face the impact of global warming in the coming years. “Due to global warming, many parts of Tamil Nadu have started becoming disaster-prone areas and as a result, several cyclones are passing to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh via Tamil Nadu.
Chennai has come in the pathway of cyclones,” he added. Later in the day, speaking at the Voice of Covai conclave at Coddissia trade complex, Annamalai said, “In the three months that I was away, a successful actor entered TN politics and an unsuccessful actor became TN’s deputy chief minister.”
‘Tungsten mining: DMK indulging in doublespeak’
Chennai: BJP state president K Annamalai on Sunday charged that the DMK government was indulging in doublespeak on tungsten mining in Madurai district and the people cannot be hoodwinked by the drama enacted by the government. “It was the DMK government that requested the GoI to set up a tungsten mine in Madurai district and gave details about this for announcing the mining contract. After hiding this fact for the past 10 months, now, following protests against the tungsten mining, the DMK government is enacting a drama as if it does not know anything about the project,” Annamalai said in a post on X.