Former BJP leader and Governor-designate of Jharkhand C.P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said he was leaving his party with happiness and confidence in the next generation of leadership in its Tamil Nadu unit.
Mr. Radhakrishnan, who offered his resignation from party membership to State president K. Annamalai in Chennai, briefly interacted with the media and later spoke at a felicitation function organised for him by the party. He was confident that the party, under the leadership of Mr. Annamalai, would come to power in Tamil Nadu in spite of any hurdles.
He said he would always proudly identify himself as a swayamsevak (member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), working towards the divine objective of making India a superpower, as is being done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Referring to a suggestion reportedly made by DMK founder C.N. Annadurai, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that if he were to offer a piece of advice to Mr. Annamalai, it would be not to run the organisation with “those who come and go”, but offer responsibilities to capable people.
He said it was important to take good suggestions, even if they came from those with differing opinions. “That is what [late Prime Minister] Atal Bihari Vajpayee taught me. He is the greatest democrat I have come across,” he said.
Mr. Annamalai said it was with a heavy heart that he accepted the resignation of Mr. Radhakrishnan. Wishing him success in the new role, he said the Governor-designate had already conveyed clearly how he would be discharging his duties in an impartial manner and work for the welfare of the people of Jharkhand.
Leaders from all the alliance partners of the BJP took part in the felicitation event.
At the meeting, Inthiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam president T. Devanathan Yadav’s comment that Mr. Radhakrishnan would help in turning Jharkhand into a BJP-ruled State created a mild flutter. However, BJP co-in-charge for Tamil Nadu Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy intervened quickly. He said the comment, made out of ‘affection’, need not be taken seriously, and Mr. Radhakrishnan would be discharging his duties as per the Constitution.
