Chennai, June 7: The launch of former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai’s new political party has triggered fresh political sparring in the state, with CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Secretary P. Shanmugam dismissing the formation as little more than an extension of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
In a strongly worded statement posted on social media, Shanmugam argued that the new outfit does not represent a break from the BJP-RSS ecosystem but rather a continuation of it under a different banner.
“The RSS already functions through nearly 2,500 affiliated organisations. Annamalai’s party is merely the 2,501st addition to that list,” he said. “The people of Tamil Nadu can clearly see through the disguise. This is not a new political force; it is the same project in a different costume.”
Drawing on imagery from Indian mythology, Shanmugam likened Annamalai’s political move to the legendary “Maricha disguise,” suggesting that while the appearance may have changed, the underlying character remains unchanged.
The CPI(M) leader further contended that the BJP has struggled to secure deep-rooted acceptance among Tamil Nadu’s electorate despite years of organisational expansion and high-profile campaigning. According to him, the creation of a new political platform reflects an attempt to overcome that limitation through rebranding rather than political reinvention.
“Unable to gain broad public acceptance under its own flag, the BJP is now seeking to market the same ideology under a different name, with the support of the Modi–Amit Shah leadership,” Shanmugam asserted.
He also cast doubt on claims that nearly 250,000 people enrolled as members within just two hours of the party’s launch. While supporters have celebrated the figure as evidence of overwhelming enthusiasm, Shanmugam argued that such numbers, if accurate, may simply reflect the transfer of existing BJP cadres into the new organisation.
“Membership statistics alone do not create political legitimacy,” he said. “Rebranding cannot substitute for genuine public support.”
The exchange highlights the intense contest over political narratives in Tamil Nadu, a state where national parties have historically struggled to dominate a landscape shaped by powerful regional movements. As Annamalai seeks to position his new organisation as a fresh political vehicle, opponents are already framing it as a familiar ideology wrapped in new packaging.
Whether the new party emerges as a significant force or remains an extension of existing political currents will ultimately be determined not by membership claims or launch-day enthusiasm, but by the verdict of the people of Tamil Nadu.
