Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai on Tuesday appealed to his party leaders and cadre to work “sleeplessly” for the victory of K.S. Thennarasu, contesting on the ‘two leaves’ symbol as the AIADMK candidate, in the Erode (East) byelection.
The byelection is scheduled to be held on February 27.
Mr. Annamalai’s statement came in the backdrop of the Election Commission of India (ECI) clearing the decks for Mr. Thennarasu to contest on the ‘two leaves’ symbol.
Mr. Annamalai thanked AIADMK’s interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, for fielding the candidate as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and also thanked the AIADMK’s deposed coordinator O. Panneerselvam, for withdrawing his faction’s candidate Senthil Murugan, keeping in mind the interest of the public and the alliance.
The BJP had earlier appealed to Mr. Panneerselvam to withdraw his candidate. The BJP president said all the alliance partners should work together for the victory of Mr. Thennarasu, and to defeat the “inefficient” DMK government, which, according to him, was anti-people, corrupt, and had failed to keep its poll promises.
He asked BJP cadre to work wholeheartedly with the support of the people even if the opponent (DMK candidate) had the power of the government, and money.
Expressing his best wishes and BJP’s support for NDA’s candidate Mr. Thennarasu, Mr. Annamalai said his victory should be a bellwether for victories in upcoming elections.
