BJP national general secretary Santhosh steps in to calm turbulence in Tamil Nadu

BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh will travel to Chennai on September 16 to chair an important meeting with the state leadership and cadre, as the party works to strengthen its organisational base in Tamil Nadu ahead of next year’s assembly elections.

The visit comes at a delicate time for the NDA in the state, with internal differences in ally parties and unease within the BJP itself. Union home minister Amit Shah is closely supervising alliance-building efforts, and Santhosh’s role will be to review the ground situation and attempt to resolve tensions.

In recent weeks, PMK patriarch S Ramadoss expelled his son Anbumani Ramadoss from the party. Anbumani had been seen as supportive of the BJP alliance, and his exit has raised questions over PMK’s future position. Similarly, AIADMK veteran K A Sengottaiyan created ripples by travelling to Delhi to meet Amit Shah, a move viewed as defying the party line under E Palaniswamy. Calls for unity among AIADMK factions have not been received well by the current leadership, highlighting the fragility of the opposition bloc.


Even within the BJP, challenges persist. Former state president K Annamalai has yet to be rehabilitated after being removed, while several senior leaders have been skipping meetings convened by the new state president Nainar Nagendran. Party insiders say this reflects ongoing tussles in the state unit.