Nainar to visit Delhi for Vice Presidential poll; speculation rife over NDA strain

CHENNAI: BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran will travel to New Delhi on Tuesday to be present for the Vice Presidential election, where the result is scheduled to be announced in the evening. Veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, C P Radhakrishnan, is contesting for the post, and Nagenthran said his presence is expected in his capacity as the State president.

Amid these developments, senior AIADMK leader K A Sengottaiyan has also camped in New Delhi and reportedly met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. His meeting added weight to the political buzz surrounding the timing of Nagenthran’s visit.

The National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu has come under strain after O Panneerselvam and TTV Dhinakaran announced their exit. Adding to the tension, Dhinakaran openly alleged in a recent press conference that Nagenthran was responsible for their departure from the alliance.

Party sources confirmed that Nainar Nagenthran had received an invitation from the central leadership to be in the national capital, but the Delhi high-command is also said to be closely monitoring the discord within the State unit. The sequence of developments, coupled with Sengottaiyan’s presence in Delhi, has triggered talk that the BJP leadership may use the occasion to review the shifting alliance equations in Tamil Nadu.