Chennai, Apr 11 (PTI) BJP senior leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the residence of RSS ideologue and Thuglak magazine editor S Gurumurthy here on Friday, and discussed various political issues.

The Union Minister who sprang a surprise by advancing his programme, drove to the journalist’s house in Mylapore for a discussion that lasted for about an hour in the afternoon. Shah was accompanied by Union Minister L Murugan and party’s state chief K Annamalai.

Originally, Shah was to have wound up his Chennai visit by meeting Gurumurthy, also an auditor, in the evening.

But the sudden change in the Union Minister’s programme left many BJP state leaders surprised.

Ahead of Shah’s visit to the city, the BJP’s ally the PMK effected changes in the party hierarchy. Its founder Dr S Ramadoss announced taking up the reins of the party as its president, and relegated his son, a former Union Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, as working president of the PMK.

Anbumani had reportedly favoured poll ties with the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while the senior Ramadoss wanted to continue in the AIADMK-led alliance.

The opposition AIADMK leadership had stressed that it was not in a hurry for a political realignment and that an appropriate decision on alliance would be announced later.

“Gurumurthy is known to favour poll ties with the AIADMK. But it is ultimately the BJP high command that decides on the alliance,” a senior functionary of the BJP, who did not want to be named, said.

Meanwhile, amidst speculation of change in state leadership, BJP legislator from Tirunelveli, Nainar Nagendran came to the BJP state headquarters, Kamalalayam, in T Nagar, ahead of filing the nomination for party president’s election.

“Though we make the announcement for receiving nominations from party aspirants but usually only those backed by the party alone submit their forms. Invariably, it might be one person,” a BJP senior leader said. PTI JSP ADB