BJP, DMK To Battle It Out In 2024 LS Polls, 'Don't Regret' AIADMK Leaving NDA, Says Annamalai

K Annamalai stated that the 2024 Lok Sabha election would be a fight between the ruling DMK and the BJP, and that the AIADMK's departure from the NDA causes neither regret nor happiness.

File Photo Of Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai

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Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai said on Thursday that the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state will be primarily a contest between the ruling DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and his own party, downplaying the impact of the AIADMK's withdrawal from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

When asked about the BJP's strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu during a press conference, Annamalai stated that election tactics would not be discussed in such a setting, according to news agency PTI. Rather, the party would reveal its strategy to the public when the time was right. Annamalai, speaking to reporters after a party functionaries meeting, emphasised the National Democratic Alliance's historical stability over the past 25 years, despite the intermittent entry and exit of various parties.

The party's goal in the LS elections is to send a large number of MPs from Tamil Nadu to the Lok Sabha. The BJP would move forward with initiatives to effect change, and positive signs would be visible ahead of the 2024 elections. "You will see victorious candidates and also see the vote share," he was quoted as saying by PTI. 

When asked if he is happy or sad about the AIADMK's exit from the NDA, he said, "The BJP would naturally be concentrating only on its growth. Why should there be happiness or regret?" Annamalai stated that his sole goal in the party has been to strengthen it, which is also the goal of the leaders and cadres. 

In response to questions about a possible electoral showdown between the AIADMK and the BJP, Annamalai reiterated his previous position, claiming that the true contest would be between the DMK and the BJP.

He emphasised the BJP's intention to win a large number of parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to PTI, Annamalai expressed optimism about the party's change initiatives, assuring that positive developments would be visible in the run-up to the elections.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the alliance led by the DMK won 38 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, while the BJP's former ally AIADMK won one. The BJP did not gain any seats.

When asked if the AIADMK had severed ties with the BJP because of his comments about BJP leaders such as C N Annadurai, he said it would be inappropriate for him to respond. "I am doing my work and I am clear about the way I have to travel and I am also clear about the path the BJP should take." He made it clear that he was unwilling to answer any further questions about AIADMK's withdrawal from the NDA alliance, as reported by PTI.