NEW DELHI: BJP
state president
Annamalai visited former Governor and BJP candidate for South Chennai constituency,
Tamilisai Soundararajan
, at her residence in Saligramam on Friday.
This unexpected meeting comes in the wake of rumors of an intra-party feud in the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP, following a disappointing performance in the recent parliamentary elections, where the party failed to secure a single seat in the state.
Following the meeting,
Annamalai
posted a photo on social media, acknowledging Soundararajan's political experience. "Asserting that the lotus will surely bloom in Tamil Nadu, Tamilisai Soundararajan worked hard for it, her political experience and advice continues to provide inspiration for the development of the party," Annamalai said in the post.
Tamilisai Soundararajan also shared Annamalai's post, expressing her pleasure on meeting him.
The BJP's poor electoral showing has reportedly sparked internal conflict, with some members blaming Annamalai's leadership and his decision to end the alliance with AIADMK.
The internal discord intensified after Tamilisai Soundararajan, who lost in the South Chennai constituency, publicly criticized Annamalai's faction. Her comments led to a backlash from Annamalai's supporters on social media, further deepening the divide within the party.
Adding to the controversy, a video surfaced showing Amit Shah apparently reprimanding Tamilisai Soundararajan during the swearing-in ceremony of Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh. Tamilisai later clarified that Shah's comments were advisory and not a reprimand.
In a post on 'X' on Thursday evening, Soundararajan had said she met Shah for the first time following the declaration of Lok Sabha poll results and the duo was talking about "post-poll follow-up".
"Yesterday as I met our Honorable Home Minister Sri @AmitShah ji in AP for the first time after the 2024 Elections he called me to ask about post poll followup and the challenges faced. "As I was elaborating, due to paucity of time with utmost concern, he adviced to carry out the political and constituency work intensively which was reassuring. This is to clarify all unwarranted speculations," she had said.
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