After Viral Video With Amit Shah, Annamalai Calls On Tamilisai Soundararajan

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai visited party leader Tamilisai Soundararajan in Chennai today and said her political experience is providing impetus for the party's growth. Annamalai's visit comes a day after a video of Amit Shah's animated chat with Ms Soundararajan went viral on social media.

After calling on Ms Soundararajan at her residence in Chennai, Annamalai, in a post on X, said he was extremely happy in visiting 'Akka Tamilisai,' a senior leader who functioned efficiently as the party's Tamil Nadu unit chief.

Ms Soundararajan, when she led the party in the state resolutely said that lotus will bloom in Tamil Nadu and worked hard to achieve it. Her "political experience and her advice is continuously providing an impetus for the party's growth," Annamalai said.

In a post on X, Ms Soundararajan said she was happy to meet Annamalai.

Annamalai's visit also comes days after a war of words between supporters of Ms Soundararajan and the BJP's state unit chief in the social media following BJP's electoral drubbing in Tamil Nadu.

Also, senior leader and Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to her during the swearing-in ceremony of N Chandrababu Naidu as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. A video clip of their conversation became a political talking point.

Putting speculation to rest, Ms Soundararajan said on June 13: "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 follow-up and the challenges faced.

"As I was elaborating, due to paucity of time with utmost concern, he advised me to carry out the political and constituency work intensively which was reassuring. This is to clarify all unwarranted speculations," she said.

Ms Soundararajan contested from the South Chennai Lok Sabha seat. She lost the election to DMK's Tamizhachi Thangapandian.

Her alleged comments on "criminal elements" in the BJP and that "the party would have won had there been an alliance with the AIADMK" were among the triggering factors. Annamalai's supporters opposed such remarks and hit out at her, using memes as well in social media, for jumping the gun.

Annamalai himself had pointed to the possibility of a win for the opposition in Tamil Nadu (AIADMK, BJP) in a number of constituencies if the votes of Saffron party and that of the AIADMK were added up, which showed that the winner had scored less than the opposition's combined score. However, he did not appear to have favoured an alliance with the AIADMK.

Subsequently, AIADMK leader SP Velumani too had spoken on the probability of victory in a number of seats had there been an alliance with the BJP. Later, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami had again ruled out the scope for an alliance with the national party.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)