Suriya Shiva of the Tamil Nadu BJP
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai has reinstated Suriya Shiva, who was removed from all party responsibilities last year, to the post of Other Backward Classes wing general secretary — the same post he had held prior to his removal.
In a statement on Thursday, November 2, 2023, Mr. Annamalai said Mr. Shiva has been advised to continue in the post he held earlier, based on his request. Mr. Annamalai had removed the functionary from all party responsibilities for a period of six months on November 24, 2022, after the recording of a telephone call, in which Mr. Shiva was heard hurling abuse and threats at the party’s State minority wing leader Daisy Saran, surfaced.
A committee was initially formed to investigate the issue. After the committee completed its enquiry with Mr. Shiva and Ms. Saran, the two jointly addressed a press conference in the presence of P. Kanagasabapathi, who headed the investigation committee, saying that they both had amicably resolved the issue themselves.
Hours after this press conference however, Mr. Annamalai announced the removal of Mr. Shiva from all responsibilities. Subsequently, Mr. Shiva announced that he was quitting the BJP, but expressed his continued allegiance to Mr. Annamalai. He openly blamed the party’s former State president and Union Minister of State L. Murugan and State general secretary (organisation) Kesava Vinayakan for curtailing the State president’s work.
After Mr. Annamalai’s statement on Thursday, Mr. Shiva, in a message on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), thanked the State president as well as Mr. Vinayakan and other BJP functionaries for their support.
New wing formed
Mr. Annamalai also announced the formation of a ‘Startup Cell’ in the party’s State unit with Ananthan Ayyasamy as its convenor. The statement said Mr. Ayyasamy previously worked at Intel, the US-based multinational company, and was now serving as an active party cadre in Tenkasi district.