Chennai: BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran on Friday announced his switch from home turf Tirunelveli to Sattur assembly segment in neighbouring Virudhunagar district for the upcoming assembly elections.The announcement came before BJP formally released its list of candidates. Though Nainar chose not to explain the reason for the switch, partymen said sizeable thevar votes there and higher number of minority votes in Tirunelveli was the reason. Down the line, there was discontent among the rank and file of BJP over constituencies allocated to the saffron party. After a protest in Kinathukadavu in Coimbatore on Thursday, there were cadre protests in Palani too, that the segment was not allotted to BJP. BJP men said segments where they were carrying out election work, hoping to be allotted, were not given by AIADMK. Instead, they were allotted constituencies where the fight would be tough. For instance, Tiruchendur, the home turf of fisheries minister Anita Radhakrishnan and Tiruvannamalai, the stronghold of PWD minister E V Velu were allotted to BJP. “How can our candidates take on such powerful candidates,” asked a BJP functionary, saying that of 27 segments allotted to BJP, 13 are held by sitting DMK ministers. “It is impossible for our candidates to work in new segments where DMK veterans have dominated for years,” the functionary said.BJP functionaries are also upset about the uncertainty of former state president K Annamalai’s poll plan. AIADMK has allotted one seat in Coimbatore district, which is likely to be allotted to BJP national women’s wing leader Vanathi Srinivasan. Neither Singanallur nor Kavundampalayam, which were touted as potential seats for Annamalai, were allotted. In his native Karur too, BJP has not been allotted Aravakurichi, where Annamalai contested in 2021. Nainar said a decision on Annamalai’s candidature would be decided by the party high command. Discontent has been building among sections of AIADMK cadre as well regarding the allocation of constituencies. Posters have been stuck in Ramanathapuram and Kumbakonam demanding the seats be reallocated to AIADMK as they were given to BJP. Responding to a question on whether BJP had been given difficult seats, Nagenthran said, “All of us are part of the National Democratic Alliance; whoever wins, EPS will be the chief minister.”
