‘I am no longer a BJP member’: S. Ve. Sekhar

Actor and former MLA S. Ve Shekher on Friday said he is no longer a member of the BJP and offered to campaign for the ruling DMK in the 2026 Assembly polls, if the State government forms a Welfare Board for Andhanars, implements 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and provides tickets for Brahmins to contest Assembly elections.

Speaking to media, Mr. Sekhar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to join the BJP, a decade ago. “However, the party had not utilised me in the last 10 years. They had not called me for election campaigns. So I decided not to renew the membership. Now I am not a member of any political party. My identity is Indian, Tamilan and Dravidan.”

He also criticised the BJP for reportedly admitting members who give missed calls. “If a membership drive is conducted through missed calls, the party will not come to power [in Tamil Nadu], even after 50 years.” He believed BJP State president K. Annamalai is “unfit for politics.”

Mr. Sekhar was elected to Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly as an AIADMK candidate from Mylapore in 2006. In 2009, he was expelled from the party. Before joining the BJP, Mr. Sekhar had a short stint in the Congress.

Published - November 08, 2024 07:11 pm IST