Chennai: Union Minister Amit Shah has arrived in Chennai to hold final discussions with leaders of other parties regarding the alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections. He is scheduled to meet with leaders from parties including AIADMK at a private hotel in Guindy today for crucial meetings.
Following the discussions, there are indications that a formal alliance announcement will be made during a press briefing this afternoon. Meanwhile, the process to appoint a new BJP state president has also begun. A notification inviting applications for the post has been issued ahead of tomorrow’s election. Shah is also aiming to reach a consensus with the AIADMK regarding the new leadership. This move comes in light of the strained relationship between the current BJP state president K. Annamalai and the AIADMK leadership.
The notification seeking applications for the president’s post includes a condition that the candidate must have at least 10 years of experience as a BJP worker. As a result, several leaders, including MLA Nainar Nagendran—who joined the party in 2017 and became active in electoral politics—may become ineligible. Due to the controversy over this eligibility criterion, the party may consider relaxing it with central leadership’s approval. However, there are reports that the RSS is not in favor of appointing Nainar, who switched from the AIADMK to the BJP, as the state president. Young leaders such as Ananthan Ayyaswamy and Karuppu M. Muruganandam are also said to be in the running for the position.
