Tamil Nadu polls: Tejasvi Surya explains why Annamalai was denied vote

New Delhi: Hours after Karnataka BJP MP dropped K Annamalai from list of candidates for upcoming elections Tejasvi Surya The former president of the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday was described as the “most popular leader” and claimed that the party made him in charge of the campaigns of all candidates.“Annamalai is the most popular leader of the BJP and has a huge following not just in Tamil Nadu but across the country. He has been given the responsibility of campaigning for all candidates in Tamil Nadu,” Surya said while campaigning for the BJP in Kerala.“Even today, he has a huge following in Kerala. He is also campaigning in Puducherry and people there are crazy about him. I am very confident that Annamalai’s popularity and his campaign in Tamil Nadu will translate into victories for the BJP candidates across the state,” he added.Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party announced its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections after negotiations within the NDA alliance.While senior leaders such as Tamilisai Soundararajan (Mylapore), Vanathi Srinivasan (Coimbatore North) and Union Minister L. Murugan (Avinashi) have taken charge, Annamalai’s name is nowhere to be found in the list.K Annamalai, however, said that although he is not included in the party’s candidate list in Tamil Nadu, he will continue campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections, calling it his “responsibility”.Speaking to the media in Kannur, Kerala, after holding a public meeting in Kannur, Kerala, Annamalai said that he will campaign for the BJP in Puducherry, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the upcoming elections.“In this election, my duty is to campaign for candidates in Tamil Nadu. Now, the party has given me the responsibility to campaign in Puducherry and Kerala till 7th (April). From 7th to 23rd, I have to campaign for all the BJP and NDA candidates in Tamil Nadu. This is the responsibility given to me by the party. I will fulfill this responsibility,” he said.It is worth noting that former IPS officer Annamalai is a key figure in the party’s aggressive expansion strategy in southern India. He is often seen as the direct face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, often appearing with him at major rallies.Tamil Nadu will go to single-phase polls on April 23, covering a total of 234 constituencies in the state. Counting is scheduled for May 4.