H. Raja Takes the Reins of Tamil Nadu BJP Amid Annamalai’s Absence

H. Raja, a seasoned BJP leader, has been appointed to lead the Tamil Nadu unit of the party for the next three months. This comes as K. Annamalai, the current state president, embarks on a three-month educational sojourn at Oxford University in the UK. A six-member coordination committee has been formed to oversee party operations during this period. The committee includes M. Muruganandam and Raama Sreenivasan as state general secretaries, M. Chakravarthy and P. Kanagasabapathy as state vice presidents, and S R Shekhar as state treasurer. The coordination committee will consult with the party’s core committee before making any final decisions. H. Raja, a former MLA and chartered accountant, is returning to the political spotlight after a decade. He is known for his close ties to Annamalai. This appointment comes amidst reports of internal friction between Annamalai and Tamilisai Soundararajan within the party. However, Soundararajan has welcomed the new committee and expressed her support for Raja and his team. The BJP’s recent electoral defeat in the Lok Sabha elections has led to calls for change in Annamalai’s leadership style.