CHENNAI: BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran on Friday once again sacked state spokesperson ANS Prasad from his post, apparently over his call to support TVK to form the government.
This is the second time the leader has been punished for speaking in favour of Vijay's party, deepening the turbulence within the saffron party's state unit in the aftermath of the poll debacle, in which it won only one seat.
The BJP chief also announced disciplinary action against several other office-bearers, including state executive committee member Nisha Raja, while cancelling an unauthorised district-level order issued in Dharmapuri.
The action against Prasad came shortly after he publicly appealed to all political parties to support TVK chief C Joseph Vijay in forming the government amid the continuing post-poll uncertainty in Tamil Nadu.
Prasad claimed he was being punished for articulating a far-sighted political position aimed at preventing the BJP from being portrayed as an obstacle to Vijay assuming office.
In a statement, he accused sections of the state BJP leadership of deliberately undermining him despite his nearly three decades of work for the party. He demanded the resignation of Nainar Nagenthran and Union Minister L Murugan, holding them morally responsible for the BJP's poor electoral performance in the state.
Prasad also urged the BJP high command to reinstate former state president K Annamalai, alleging that internal groupism and organisational failures had weakened the party in the State.
He further claimed he would soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the national leadership to raise issues concerning the functioning of the Tamil Nadu BJP.