Video of Shah’s talk with Tamilisai goes viral amid rumblings in TN BJP

New Delhi: A video clip showing Union Home Minister Amit Shah seemingly reprimanding BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan at the swearing-in ceremony of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sparked controversy and speculation on social media.

The brief exchange, captured on camera, shows Tamilisai greeting Shah, but he calls her back and engages in what appears to be a serious discussion. Social media is abuzz with users raising questions about the nature of their conversation.

Some have linked the incident to the rumblings of infighting within the Tamil Nadu BJP, particularly between supporters of state president K Annamalai and Tamilisai Soundararajan.

The controversy has drawn attention from the DMK, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai took to X, saying, "What kind of politics is this? Is it polite to publicly reprimand a prominent female politician from Tamil Nadu? Shah should know that everyone will see this. A very wrong example!"

The underlying issue seems to be a rumoured rift between Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai and Tamilisai Soundararajan following the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu.

The controversy began after the BJP drew a blank in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, with party functionaries reportedly blaming Annamalai for the loss. They believe that Annamalai's approach led to the AIADMK breaking ties with the BJP, resulting in significant losses for the party.

AIADMK leader and former state minister SP Velumani squarely blamed Annamalai for the party's split with the BJP ahead of the high-stakes polls. Tamilisai, who fought and lost the Chennai South seat, also endorsed the view that the BJP-AIADMK front could have won up to 35 seats if the alliance had continued. She also took a dig at Annamalai over the poll debacle in a recent interview. This did not sit well with Annamalai's supporters, who disparaged Tamilisai online. Her supporters followed suit, setting off an ugly confrontation on social media. Tamilisai Soundararajan has yet to respond to the video clip, which has become a topic of heated debate.