Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai, who campaigned for former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam in Ramanathapuram on Saturday, April 13, 2024, after arriving by helicopter, said Mr. Panneerselvam had entered the fray in place of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who could not contest from the constituency.
“You wanted Mr. Modi to contest from here. Prime Minister Modi has a special love for Mr. Panneerselvam and Ramanathapuram. That is why Mr. Modi has fielded Mr. Panneerselvam from here. If a former Chief Minister enters the Parliament, he will command respect and it will immensely benefit the constituency, and Ramanathapuram will become a well-developed district,” said Mr. Annamalai, during his campaign near Ramalinga Vilasam, the palace of the Sethupathis, former rulers of Ramanathapuram.
Mr. Annamalai said that world leaders including the U.S. President were longing to speak to Mr. Modi, and Mr. Panneerselvam had easy access to the Prime Minister. “He was a leader who was trusted by late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for his simplicity, his character and his loyalty,” he said.
Mr. Panneerselvam is contesting as an Independent candidate, backed by the BJP and its allies in T.N. His camp also played a speech by Ms. Jayalalithaa, acknowledging his loyalty to her. “Nowhere in the world has a person who acquired the throne returned it to its rightful heir. But Mr. Panneeselvam proved that it could be done,” Ms. Jayalalithaa had said.
Mr. Annamalai, said Mr. Panneerselvam was also representing late leader Muthuramalinga Thevar, who divided his wealth into 16 parts and used it for the welfare of the people from backward communities.
The BJP leader slammed T.N. Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, accusing him of denigrating Muthuramalinga Thevar. “Mr. Ramachandran says that Ramanathapuram could not grow because Thevar had a confrontation with the State government,” Mr Annamalai alleged. He said Tamil Nadu politics had witnessed many betrayals, and one was the removal of the late M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) from the DMK by its late leader M. Karunanidhi and another was the removal of Mr. Panneerselvam from the AIADMK by Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
“The outcome of the election will prove who is the real leader. It is not going to be an ordinary election. It will rewrite the political history of Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Annamalai said, and sought votes for ‘Jackfruit’ symbol that Mr Panneerselvam is contensting under.
Katchatheevu issue
With Katchatheevu being a vital issue dominating political campaigns this year, Mr. Annamalai said he had obtained documents that had proved that the DMK government, led by Karunanidhi, and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had given the island to Sri Lanka on a platter.
“They just gave it for free. Even a vada costs five rupees and a tea, 12 rupees. They handed over the island as if it was a discount offered during Pongal or Deepavali,” he said, reiterating that it would be retrieved after the BJP was elected to power with 400 seats.
Alleging that the sitting MP, a native of Ramanathapuram, could not find a solution to the drinking water problem and women were forced to carry water in vehicles, Mr. Annamalai said the BJP government would allot special funds to link the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar rivers and permanently solve the drinking water problem of the district.
He also said Mr Panneerselvam could build a bridge between various communities in the district which had witnessed communal riots in the past. “At present he is ahead of his rivals by a 15 per cent vote share. But you have to ensure that he wins by a margin of five lakh votes,” Mr. Annamalai said.
