Chennai: As the Chennai Super Kings celebrate their victory in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Chief of BJP Tamil Nadu, K Annamalai, has made a peculiar claim, suggesting that a BJP activist- ‘karyakarta’ played a crucial role in helping the team secure the win.
Annamalai's assertion centres around CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, whom he refers to as a "BJP karyakarta" responsible for hitting the winning run.
Annamalai made this assertion during a television program on the IPL when the anchor questioned him about CSK fans, who support the ruling DMK, taunting the BJP by labelling the victory as the "Dravidian model" over the "Gujarat model." In response to these jibes, Annamalai proudly proclaimed that a BJP worker had struck the winning run and emphasized Jadeja's political connections.
With CSK requiring 13 runs from the final over, Jadeja, hailing from Gujarat, showcased his skill and determination by smashing a six and a four off the last two balls, securing victory for his team.
Although Jadeja's official affiliation with the BJP remains uncertain, he has previously expressed support for India's ruling party. Notably, his wife, Rivaba Jadeja, contested and won the Gujarat assembly elections in 2022 on a BJP ticket from the Jamnagar North constituency, further cementing their ties to the party.
Annamalai further praised the performance of Sai Sudarshan, a young Tamil Nadu player representing the Gujarat Titans, who contributed 96 runs during the match. Despite the absence of Tamil players in CSK, Annamalai expressed pride in MS Dhoni's captaincy and highlighted the winning run scored by a BJP karyakarta.