Wasn't denied ticket by BJP, chose not to contest Tamil Nadu polls: Annamalai
The clarification came a day after the BJP released its list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections under the AIADMK-led NDA, with Annamalai's absence emerging as the biggest talking point.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Friday broke his silence over his absence from the party’s candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections, asserting that the decision to stay out of the contest was entirely his own.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport after arriving from Coimbatore, Annamalai said he had formally communicated his decision to the party leadership in writing well in advance. "I have already informed the core committee that I will not contest from any constituency. So, it is not that I was denied a ticket. The truth is that I did not want to contest," he said.
Addressing speculation around his omission, Annamalai questioned how the leadership could have allotted him a seat when he had declined to enter the fray. "How can the leadership allocate a ticket to me when I do not want to contest?" he said, adding that he was clarifying the matter as it had become a subject of media discussion.
The BJP leader also thanked the party's central leadership for respecting his decision and allowing him to campaign for candidates of the NDA alliance. "I would actively support alliance nominees in the state," the former Tamil Nadu BJP chief added.
Annamalai also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Chennai today, stating that the PM would meet party functionaries after concluding his campaign in Puducherry, before heading to Kochi for further campaigning in support of the BJP-led alliance.
The clarification came a day after the BJP released its list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections under the AIADMK-led NDA, with Annamalai's absence emerging as the biggest talking point.
His name had earlier been linked to constituencies in the Coimbatore region. However, sources had told India Today TV that he was unhappy with the seat-sharing arrangement, particularly after the AIADMK retained key constituencies in Coimbatore, widely viewed as a BJP stronghold.
According to sources, the 41-year-old leader had written to the party's central leadership flagging concerns over seat allocation and conveyed his decision to opt out of the elections. He was also said to have pushed for the Singanallur seat to be allotted to the BJP, a request that did not materialise as AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami reportedly retained control over seat distribution.
Polling for the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly is scheduled to be held on April 23.
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