Tamil Nadu: Annamalai to kickstart meeting with BJP office bearers today

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu president Annamalai will hold a meeting with office bearers and district presidents from his party in Chennai on Thursday.

The crucial meeting comes on the heels of the BJP losing a key ally in the state as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) severed ties with the BJP and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last month.

According to sources, Annamalai had a discussion with the BJP high command in Delhi on the AIADMK alliance. In Thursday's meeting, it is expected that Annamalai will share his views and those of the BJP's central leaders with the office bearers.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami on Wednesday clarified that there was no pressure from anyone to leave the BJP-led NDA in the State.

"We are strong with our decision to break ties with the BJP. No one put any pressure on us to take this decision. A few incidents hurt our cadres," Edappadi Palaniswami said while speaking to reporters in Salem.

Palaniswami further said, "From Prime Minister Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J P Nadda, no one put any pressure on us and we decided to break the ties with BJP respecting our cadres voice.