- BJP leader Sumathi Venkatesh resigns from Tamil Nadu party post and membership
- Venkatesh cites careful thought and sadness in her decision to leave BJP Tamil Nadu
- Former state chief K Annamalai and vice president Karu Nagarajan also exited BJP recently
A third key BJP leader in Tamil Nadu has resigned from the party after the exit of former state chief K Annamalai and state vice president Karu Nagarajan. In a post on X, Tamil Nadu BJP state secretary Sumathi Venkatesh announced she has stepped down from her post and decided to "conclude my association with the party".
She said she took the decision to leave the party after giving it a lot of thought and that it is with sadness she parted ways.
"With a heavy heart, I have decided to step down from my responsibilities as State Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Tamil Nadu, and conclude my association with the party. It has been a matter of great pride and privilege to serve the party," Venkatesh said.
"I remain deeply inspired by the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and the ideals of nationalism, patriotism, and service to the nation that the BJP upholds. These values have guided me throughout my journey and will continue to do so," she said.
"This decision has come after careful thought and is not without sadness. I am sincerely grateful to all party leaders, office bearers, and karyakartas at both the national and state levels for their guidance, support, and encouragement during my tenure. I respectfully request you to accept my resignation and relieve me of my responsibilities," Venkatesh said in the post addressed to the BJP's state chief.
She has not shared her plans yet.
Annamalai, while leaving the BJP, said he would begin a political journey aimed at ushering in "common man politics," distancing it from personality-driven politics and rejecting sycophancy and hereditary power.
Political analysts say that the meteoric rise of actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in the state long ruled by either the DMK or the AIADMK may have influenced Annamalai to attempt a new approach.
The BJP does not see a loss in Annamalai's exit. "There will be no loss to the BJP due to his resignation. There won't be any setback to the BJP, which is the biggest party in the world. The party will remain steadfast on its ideology," Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran told reporters.
Annamalai's new outfit is looking to get the support of young people. He said it would eventually be transformed into a political party later and would contest the next Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
