Chennai:
Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai announced the election task force within an hour after the by-election schedule for Erode East constituency was announced.
Thus, it was expected that the BJP would enter the Erode East by-election.
The BJP leadership conducted a secret survey in Erode East constituency regarding contesting the elections. In that survey it was revealed that Bharatiya Janata Party would get less than 8 thousand votes if it contests alone in Erode East constituency.
Bharatiya Janata Party abandoned its decision to contest the Erode East by-election as it lacked popular support. This was followed by ADMK. Due to the continuation of the alliance, there was an expectation of which of the two teams of ADMK the Bharatiya Janata Party would support.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is in trouble as it may cause controversy if it supports either of Edappadi Palaniswami and O. Panneer Selvam in ADMK. Senior BJP leaders have decided to support whoever gets the double leaf symbol out of these two teams.
Perhaps, if the double leaf symbol is not available to both the teams, Edappadi Palaniswami’s team and O. Panneer Selvam’s team can contest in the Erode East by-election under independent symbol. But the Tamil Nadu BJP said that they will not support the independence symbol. President Annamalai has announced clearly.
In such a situation, BJP should act without contesting alone and at the same time without supporting ADMK. Leaders plan. Accordingly, the ADMK has decided to stay neutral without contesting the Erode East by-election as it did not get the double leaf symbol.
Tamilnadu BJP in an interview given in an English newspaper in this regard. President Annamalai has hinted at some comments. In that interview, he mentioned, “Erodu East by-election is not a testing ground for BJP. The target is the election of 2024.”
Therefore, it has come to know that decisions will be made on this basis in the meeting of district leaders tomorrow. The BJP in that constituency is staying away from contesting the by-election. The Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party has also decided to announce that volunteers can vote as per their choice.