CHENNAI, Apr 4 : Amidst a buzz that his name did not figure in the BJP candidates’ list for the April 23 Assembly election, former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai attended a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here that was described as “casual conversation” by the party on Saturday.
Annamalai who arrived from Kannur in Kerala, in the midst of his campaign, clarified that he opted out of the race this time and he decided to campaign for the NDA’s victory.
BJP leader in charge for Tamil Nadu, Piyush Goyal, said the meeting with the prime minister was a “casual conversation” in which Annamalai also participated. “Annamalai is a disciplined soldier who expressed a desire to campaign for the NDA candidates’ victory,” Goyal told reporters here.
At the meeting, Goyal said, “We had a casual conversation as we do in the party, among friends. The PM was giving us guidance that we have to work to win in all 234 constituencies together as a family. After that, he left for Kerala.”
The Union minister flayed a section of the media for claiming that the BJP had planned a roadshow in Chennai and later cancelled it. “I don’t know who is spreading this canard. I think the DMK has become totally frustrated and they can see defeat before their eyes… I don’t know when the roadshow was planned and cancelled… this is a figment of imagination.”
He said the prime minister had come to attend a roadshow in Puducherry and later left for a poll campaign in Kerala. “Chennai is a transit point as there is no airport in the Union territory,” he added.
On Annamalai’s role, Goyal said the party took into consideration those who will contest and who will campaign. “He (Annamalai) said he will campaign for the NDA. He is a disciplined soldier of the party who desires to campaign for NDA candidates’ victory,” he said.
Goyal stated that he was “extremely happy” with the seat allotment with the AIADMK and remarked that “in elections, you accept certain seats which are your stronghold and convert the weak into good ones. In this election, we selected good seats. We are happy. If you say someone is happy or someone is unhappy, then please talk to us rather than depend on your sources,” Goyal said.
“I am not in the race or list. In this election, my role is to campaign for the candidates across Tamil Nadu. Right now, the party has given me the responsibility to campaign in Puducherry and Kerala till April 7 and from then till April 23 in Tamil Nadu. This is the responsibility given to me by the party. I will be fulfilling that responsibility,” the former BJP state chief told reporters upon his arrival at the airport from Kannur.
At the airport, responding to a question on why his name did not figure in the list of BJP candidates, Annamalai said, “I have already informed the core committee in writing that I will not contest from any constituency. Even the list of probable candidates sent to the high command for approval did not contain my name. So, it is not that I was denied a ticket. The truth is that I decided not to contest. Since this has become a topic of discussion in the media, I am clarifying it here.”
He had also conveyed his decision to Goyal a week ago and had communicated this to national General secretary B L Santosh and BJP chief Nitin Nabin, Annamalai said.
He said he was grateful to the BJP leadership for respecting his decision and giving him an opportunity to campaign in support of the NDA candidates.
On the meeting with Modi, he said, “It will be a general discussion during the election. I see it as an opportunity to interact with the PM.”
Earlier, in the midst of his campaign in north Kerala, Annamalai had said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’ that: “I, as a Karyakarta, will stand shoulder to shoulder and campaign for all our BJP and other NDA candidates, with the aim of the NDA winning 210 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.” (PTI)
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