Annamalai exit fallout? BJP gives up Andhra Rajya Sabha seat in NDA rejig
Vijayawada/IBNS: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai's resignation from the primary membership of the party has reportedly triggered a realignment of power-sharing arrangements within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Andhra Pradesh.
According to media reports, the BJP has relinquished its claim to one of the four vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh, which is governed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, one of the NDA's most significant allies at the national level.
NDA formula revised
Under the earlier seat-sharing arrangement, Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was allotted two of the four Rajya Sabha seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) were expected to get one seat each.
However, the revised formula now allows the TDP to send three Rajya Sabha MPs, while the remaining seat will go to the JSP after the BJP withdrew its claim.
Reports suggest the adjustment is part of a broader recalibration within the NDA following Annamalai's departure from the BJP.
BJP confirms Annamalai's exit
In an official statement, the BJP confirmed the resignation of Annamalai, widely regarded as the party's most prominent face in Tamil Nadu, after several rounds of discussions aimed at persuading him to stay.
The former Tamil Nadu BJP chief stepped down following meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leader B.L. Santhosh.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin formally accepted his resignation on Friday.
Speculation over new political outfit
Several reports have claimed that Annamalai, who was removed as the Tamil Nadu BJP president amid the party's renewed alliance with the AIADMK, is preparing to launch his own political outfit in the state.
The buzz has intensified against the backdrop of actor-turned-politician Vijay's emergence as a major force in Tamil Nadu politics after his party's successful electoral debut.
Posters spark fresh buzz
Speculation over Annamalai's next move gained further traction after posters carrying his image and the slogan "Fearless minds know no limits" surfaced across various parts of Coimbatore earlier this week.
Political observers interpreted the campaign as a possible indication of a new political movement or an effort to build a grassroots support base ahead of a larger political initiative.
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