The victory of Tamil superstar Joseph Vijay in the recent elections and his elevation to the post of Chief Minister have dramatically altered the political landscape in Tamil Nadu.
Until now, the state had been dominated mainly by the DMK and the AIADMK. Vijay came as a breath of fresh air for people who were vexed with these parties and looking for a change.
While Vijay was expected to put up a decent show and secure a good vote share, nobody expected his party to emerge as the single largest one.
This means that the DMK and the AIADMK are now the major opposition parties, leaving little room for others.
Against this backdrop, it is being said that Annamalai, the face of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, is all set to resign from the party soon.
Annamalai was once the BJP president in Tamil Nadu, but he was forced to quit the post after ego clashes with senior leaders in the party and other BJP allies.
While Annamalai was not in favour of an alliance with any party, he was also seeking absolute control over the BJP’s activities and decision-making in Tamil Nadu. This did not go down well with other functionaries within the party.
If Annamalai resigns, it would probably indicate that the BJP is finding it difficult to carve out a space for itself in Tamil Nadu after Vijay’s rise.
The bigger question is: what would be Annamalai’s next course of action and where would he go?
Forming a new political party in Tamil Nadu appears out of the question, given the current political landscape. Besides, Annamalai clearly does not have the resources to undertake such a venture.
Does he have an offer from any other party?
Alternatively, some analysts believe that Annamalai’s threat to quit may simply be a bargaining chip to regain the leadership position of the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
If he does leave, it would undoubtedly be a huge blow to the BJP. With his crowd-pulling ability, especially among the youth, Annamalai has been a star mascot for the saffron party.
The BJP would find it difficult to identify someone as charismatic and hard-working as Annamalai in Tamil Nadu.
