Annamalai’s family vs Maridhas & BJP to appoint new state presidents | Powertrip #86

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, and Pooja Prasanna. This week, we cover the latest political clash in Tamil Nadu where BJP chief Annamalai’s family has taken on YouTuber Maridhas over two of his videos. Meanwhile, the BJP has set a January 26 deadline for appointing a new national president as well as state presidents across 29 states. Will this be a risk for Annamalai? In Karnataka, BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal is back with his tirades. We talked to insiders about why the party hasn’t reined him in..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Legal notice from Annamalai’s brother-in-law to Tamil YouTuber MaridhasThe latest tussle in Tamil Nadu politics is between BJP leader K Annamalai’s family and YouTuber Maridhas. S Sivakumar, Annamalai’s brother-in-law, has sent a legal notice to Maridhas to remove two videos from his YouTube channel Maridhas Answers. He has said that if the videos are not removed within seven days, he will file a defamation suit and initiate criminal proceedings. Maridhas had claimed in his videos that Sivakumar is Annamalai’s benami and that an IT raid had happened at Sivakumar’s company in December.The legal notice, however, says that no such IT raid has occurred. Sivakumar also denied allegations that he invested crores of black money in businesses and registered plots of land in two villages illegally.“Anyone who has a basic understanding of the registration process in Tamil Nadu will understand that the guideline value for the land registered is fixed not by the party registering the property but by the government. Simple verification of the property’s guideline value would have exposed how shallow your claims are,” the legal notice said.The notice also said Annamalai has been baselessly dragged into the controversy, with Maridhas alleging that Sivakumar was Annamalai’s benami.The videos, however, remain on Maridhas’s channel. But what intrigued us is the buzz within the party that a complaint was given to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about Annamalai and various family members, by someone from within the party itself. A party source told us that a top party leader, it is rumoured, collected material against Annamalai and submitted it to the FM’s office and the PMO.Sivakumar has denied that there was an IT raid. The IT Department has so far not given any confirmation of the raids. But if Annamalai is asked to step down as party chief in Tamil Nadu, would it be because of this row? Not quite, say sources in Delhi. And this leads us to our next story..JP Nadda’s successor and state revamps on the horizonThe BJP is gearing up to appoint a new national president to succeed JP Nadda, with January 26 set as the deadline for the process. Along with this, the party is expected to either reappoint or replace state presidents across 29 states.In Karnataka, state president BY Vijayendra appears to be safe from any changes, at least for now. However, the same can’t be said for Annamalai in Tamil Nadu. Having taken charge in 2021, his three-year tenure puts him at risk, as the new leadership seems inclined to change those who have served for a long period. Adding to his challenges is the growing list of complaints against him.That said, Annamalai’s recent efforts to take on the DMK after returning from the UK, including his dramatic self-flagellation stunt, haven’t gone unnoticed by the BJP high command.Recently, Annamalai gave interviews to several national channels and insisted that he was not against an alliance with the AIADMK. The breakdown of the alliance had upset the BJP high command. It remains to be seen whether these efforts will help his case or if a change is on the horizon for Tamil Nadu. .Why BJP’s loudmouth Yatnal continues to get a free passBJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal is back making waves, ignoring multiple warnings from the party and continuing his tirades. His latest? Dismissing BY Vijayendra as a mere “temporary president,” just days after the party’s disciplinary committee issued him a notice.So, why hasn’t the BJP reined him in? Insiders suggest Yatnal isn’t acting alone—he’s reportedly backed by a powerful leader looking to keep Yediyurappa and his son in check. Before Yatnal, it was Eshwarappa who played this role, stirring the pot in Karnataka for the same reasons.For now, the leadership seems preoccupied with bigger issues, including the Delhi elections and an upcoming party reshuffle. But word is that Yatnal might face the heat once the dust settles. Until then, he’s making the most of the high command’s limited attention span..BJP-AIADMK again?As political parties prepare for the 2026 Assembly elections, the BJP high command has shifted focus to Tamil Nadu, aiming to bring the AIADMK back into its fold. Both parties share a common goal: to form a strong alliance against the DMK-led front. Several second-tier leaders from the BJP and AIADMK support the idea of reconciliation.AIADMK insiders suggest that Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) might agree to mend ties if BJP state chief Annamalai is replaced. Also the Income Tax department officials have conducted searches at the residences of EPS’s relatives in Erode. Meanwhile, VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran have resurfaced in the media spotlight, signalling hopes of being included in the BJP’s political strategy..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Why a town in MP is resisting the plan to treat toxic waste from Bhopal’s Union Carbide plant.Protests have broken out in Pithampur over fears that the treatment of refuse from the 1984 industrial disaster may pollute the environment..PowermovesTop 5 political stories1. VHP holds big meeting in Vijayawada, calls for ‘freeing’ Hindu temples2. Congress in turmoil after Wayanad leader’s suicide letters accuse MLA of corruption3. BRS, YSRCP and TDP biggest recipients of electoral trust funds among regional parties 4. Karnataka records high dropout rate in secondary schools: UDISE data5. Media must apologise for revealing Anna University survivor's identity: Justice Madan Lokur

Annamalai’s family vs Maridhas & BJP to appoint new state presidents | Powertrip #86

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