When questioned about his decision to travel to London for studies immediately after the BJP’s defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Annamalai argued that politicians must stay ahead of the curve.”The world is changing rapidly. We expect students and civil servants to upskill, so why not politicians? I don’t want to be the kind of politician who merely listens to secretaries and signs papers. I want to keep updating myself,” he said.Reflecting on his four years in politics, Annamalai outlined three key achievements of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. First, the party introduced a parallel narrative involving political, developmental, and ideological discourse, he said.Secondly, Annamalai stated that the BJP has transitioned from an “infant” phase to a “growing adult” phase, building a strong base and reaching 85% of the state’s 68,000 booths during the election. He noted that in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 81 lakh votes, with 50 lakh coming independently of alliances, adding that 48 lakh new members joined the party in it’s recent membership drive.Lastly, Annamalai said the BJP has encouraged people to re-examine their understanding of Tamil Nadu’s history.Addressing educational concerns, Annamalai cited the NSER 2022 report, stating that 43% of Class 1 students in Tamil Nadu cannot identify numbers between one and nine, and 25% of Class 5 students struggle with basic subtraction. He questioned how the state could achieve a Rs 1 trillion economy with such educational shortcomings.
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