New Delhi: Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran on Saturday met party workers to meet former state chief K. Annamalai appealed not to leave the BJP after resigning and starting a new political movement and said that the party would not be affected by this development.Addressing reporters in Chennai, Nagendran urged workers to stick with the BJP and avoid joining any other party or movement.“My request to BJP workers is – do not go to any other party or any other movement. Please stay here. BJP is a big party in the world. We have the world’s number one leader.” PM Modi,” He said.Nagendran also rejected suggestions that Annamalai’s departure would impact the BJP’s support base in Tamil Nadu.“There is no impact. BJP is a big party. So many leaders left the party, then joined again,” he said.

The appeal comes amid resignations and new political movement

Nagendran’s comments come a day after Annamalai formally quit the BJP and unveiled a new political initiative which he said aims to promote “common man’s politics” and end “cults” and dynastic politics in the state.Even before Annamalai’s exit, a series of resignations have begun within the Tamil Nadu BJP, including that of state vice president Karu Nagarajan, state secretary Sumathi Venkatesh and several other functionaries, leading to speculation that more leaders may join his new political platform.Annamalai, a former IPS officer who led the BJP’s expansion efforts in Tamil Nadu, has said his political goals require a new and more inclusive platform.He has said that he has left BJP on amicable terms and will continue to respect Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP dismisses concerns over cadre exodus

Despite the resignation, Nagendran had earlier insisted that the BJP would remain strong and continue to grow in the state.He said that the future of the party is not tied to any one person and expressed confidence that the workers will remain committed to the ideology of the BJP.He said, “BJP is not a party that was formed recently. It is an ideology-based party and this development will definitely not have any impact. Anyone is free to start a political party. Everyone has this right in a democracy. Annamalai’s resignation from BJP will not have any impact on the party.”His comments reflected the party’s earlier position that the BJP is an ideology-driven organization and the departure of even a single leader would not be a shock to it.The appeal comes at a time when Annamalai’s newly launched movement, “We the Leaders”, has attracted significant attention.The initiative attracted over eight lakh volunteers within hours of its launch, indicating strong initial interest in the former BJP leader’s new political venture.Annamalai has said that the movement will focus on encouraging professionals, technocrats and ordinary citizens to participate in governance while promoting “development-oriented and culturally-rooted” politics in Tamil Nadu.