Tamil Nadu waiting for an 'Eknath Shinde', says BJP leader Annamalai

Days after the new government headed by rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde was installed with BJP’s support in Maharashtra, BJP's Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai on Tuesday said the southern state was awaiting its Eknath Shinde.

"Just like how an Eknath Shinde sprung up in the Shiv Sena, Tamil Nadu Cabinet headed by DMK leader M K Stalin is also now waiting for an Eknath Shinde to emerge," Annamalai said, addressing a BJP demonstration against the DMK government for its "unfulfilled electoral promises."

Comparing the families of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, he said that their first sons had taken to acting in cinemas but came a cropper. "The second sons of both leaders had rebelled against their fathers," Annamalai claimed. He further said that the third sons – Uddhav Thackeray and M K Stalin - got an opportunity to be chief ministers. While Uddhav’s son Aditya Thackeray became Minister, Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin was nurtured (for cabinet berth).

Annamalai added that just like how an Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet was awaiting its Shinde.

Incidentally, just two days ago, at the BJP’s conclave in Telangana, Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken of aspirations to form the BJP Government in Tamil Nadu, among other states.