The BJP could also not retain its erstwhile ally, Krishnasamy, in its fold as the party was reportedly keen on fielding its candidate from Tenkasi constituency. Krishnaswamy has contested from the reserved constituency unsuccessfully in six consecutive elections but the BJP now has its own candidate, who has already started work there.
Ananth Ayyasamy, vice-president of State BJP’s overseas cell, has been going around the constituency for quite some time and developing contacts with the people. Though he originally hails from Tenkasi, he was working with Intel in the US for over two decades and also runs a real estate brokerage business there, he has now come down to Tenkasi, apparently with the view to fighting the elections.
Though Tenkasi has been associated with another wealthy and influential BJP supporter, Sridhar Vembu, he will not be able to contest from the constituency as it has been reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. Vembu, the founder of Zoho having an office of his company in Tenkasi itself, has been projecting himself as the son of the soil interested in the small town’s development.
After Ayyasamy moved to Tenkasi, Vembu has been supporting him. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ayyasamy, Vembu put out a message on X describing him as his ‘brother in arm and self-made son of soil from Tenkasi.’
When Ayyasamy was honoured with a ‘Pride of India’ award in the US in 2023, Vembu said: ‘Ananthan rose from a very humble rural roots in Tenkasi to great heights as a semiconductor architect and businessman in America and has entered politics in India to serve our society. I am truly privileged to know him.’
Ayyasamy, too, reciprocated the adulation by calling Vembu as ‘crown jewel of modern India’ in a message, praising him for ‘making villages the high-tech hubs, something no CEO would have dared.’
So with the BJP obviously declining to part with the Tenkasi constituency, Krishnasamy, who had been an overt supporter of the party and its ideology for quite some time had to join the AIADMK front with the hope of getting the constituency.
Earlier, Krishnasamy had taken firm stands in favour of BJP’s policies like the NEET and had even attended a RSS event in Nagpur in 2019, when he met RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat.
Other allies of the BJP like the India Jananayaga Katchi and Puthiya Needhi Katchi have already agreed to contest on the ‘Lotus’ symbol and the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi has merged with the BJP itself completely.
After allotting four seats each to Panneerselvam and Dinkaran and another seven to PMK (if the talks conclude amicably), the BJP will field candidates contesting on the ‘Lotus’ symbol in all the remaining 25 seats.
