Tamil Nadu Transport Minister and DMK leader SS Sivasankar's comments questioning the existence of Lord Ram during an event celebrating the birthday anniversary of Chola Emperor Rajendra Chola has sparked controversy. This comes after DMK's Law Minister Thiru Raghupathy praised Lord Ram as a champion of social justice and secularism just last week. Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai has called out DMK for their seemingly contradictory stances and their sudden interest in the nation's rich history and culture.
Tamil Nadu's former AIADMK Minister S P Velumani held BJP state chief K Annamalai responsible for the dissolution of the AIADMK-BJP alliance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, claiming that the combined parties would have secured 30-35 seats if they had remained united. Although Annamalai rejected this statement, former Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan supported Velumani's view, stating that DMK would not have won all 39 seats if BJP was still allied with AIADMK. Velumani defended his stance, stating that BJP's criticisms of AIADMK leaders such as C N Annadurai, J Jayalalithaa, and Edappadi K Palaniswami led to the breakdown of the alliance. He urged Annamalai to stop criticizing AIADMK and work towards fulfilling the promises made to the people during election campaigning.
In the Phase 1 voting of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, DMK candidate Ganapathy Rajkumar P secured a significant victory in the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency, defeating rival candidate and BJP President Annamalai K by over one lakh votes. Follow the live updates on Annamalai K's results for more election updates. The 39-year-old BJP candidate, with 26 criminal cases registered against him, lost to Rajkumar P who is the managing trustee of Leaders Foundation.
K Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu Chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been caught in controversy after a video of him allegedly criticizing freedom fighter Veer Savarkar went viral on social media. However, upon further investigation, it was revealed that the video was edited and taken out of context. In the longer version of the speech, Annamalai actually questioned whether calling Savarkar a "British bootlicker" did justice to his legacy. This incident highlights the impact of misinformation and the need for fact-checking in today's digital age.
A video of BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai was shared on social media with a misleading claim that he made disparaging remarks about Hindu nationalist ideologue VD Savarkar. However, a fact check revealed that the video was edited to remove context and the full video reveals that Annamalai was actually defending Savarkar.
According to the News18 Mega Exit Poll, BJP's K Annamalai is expected to secure the Coimbatore constituency in Tamil Nadu and bring 1-3 seats for the party in the Lok Sabha elections. His strong leadership, assertive nature, and grassroot level campaigning have gained popularity and support among the people, making the BJP a significant player in the state's politics. With the BJP's strong ally INDIA bloc and a weakened AIAMDK, Annamalai's impressive win marks a shift away from the traditional Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu.
Exit polls suggest that the BJP-led NDA could win up to seven seats in Tamil Nadu, a significant gain attributed to the efforts of BJP state chief K Annamalai. Despite facing challenges from other national and regional parties in the state, Annamalai's strategic moves, including breaking alliances and aligning with smaller parties, could lead to a breakthrough for the BJP. However, the Congress-led INDIA bloc is still predicted to dominate Tamil Nadu, posing a challenge for the BJP's ambitious national target.
In a revealing interview, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai shares his journey from engineering to politics and his vision for the state's political landscape. He highlights the importance of spirituality in politics and criticizes the atheistic stance of the Dravidian ideology. Annamalai also discusses his decision to leave the civil service and take a more direct approach to community service through politics. He emphasizes the need to bring back spirituality in Tamil Nadu and reorient the political landscape towards the common man.
BJP candidate K Surendran, pitted against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Wayanad constituency, expressed confidence in his victory during a roadshow accompanied by BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai. Surendran also criticized Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, stating that their actions go against India's progress and democracy. He added that only PM Modi can solve the issue of attacks by wild animals in Wayanad, which is also mentioned in BJP's election manifesto.
As the first phase of the Tamil Nadu Election 2024 gets underway, all eyes are on the high-stakes triangular battle between DMK, BJP and AIADMK. The key candidates to watch out for are K Annamalai from BJP in Coimbatore, Tamilisai Soundararajan from BJP in Chennai South, and Ganapathy P Rajkumar from DMK in Coimbatore. While BJP is confident in a resounding mandate from the people, opposition leaders predict a win for the INDIA bloc in all 39 seats. Stay updated with live coverage on News18 for the latest updates, polling trends and real-time analysis of the 2024 Lok Sabha Election.