BJP leader K Annamalai. File photo: X/@annamalai_k
TN polls: Not denied seat; didn't want to contest elections, says Annamalai
Says if needed, he could have contested in any constituency in Tamil Nadu, but his focus is to campaign for NDA
BJP leader K Annamalai, who returned from Kerala amidst his poll campaign there to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai on Saturday, said that he is not in the electoral race.
He was neither on the party's list of probable candidates sent to the high command for approval for the April 23 election, as he chose to campaign this time, the former BJP TN chief 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
Had he decided he could have contested in any constituency in Tamil Nadu, but his focus now was to campaign for the BJP and the NDA candidates, he stressed.
"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 state chief told reporters upon his arrival at Chennai airport from Kannur.
Meeting with PM
He has been asked to attend the "closed-door meeting" of BJP senior leaders from the state core committee today in his capacity as ex-president, a source in the BJP said. The meeting with the Prime Minister is to discuss the ensuing election and the state core committee comprises about 10 senior leaders.
Ticket denied? No, says Annamalai
At the airport, responding to a question on why his name did not figure in the list of BJP candidates released on April 3, 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 Tamil Nadu BJP election in-charge and Union Minister Piyush Goyal a week ago. Also, he 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 winning BJP and other NDA candidates, with the aim of the NDA winning 210 seats in the upcoming assembly elections."