Tamil Nadu: Actor-politician Gautami Tadimalla quits BJP

Actor turned politician Gautami has resigned from the party with a "heavy heart and disillusionment" and posted a letter on X to this effect, tagging BJP national president J P Nadda and the saffron party's TN chief K Annamalai. She alleged lack of support from the party and that a particular person "has swindled me of my money, property and documents."

Chennai : Popular actor turned politician Gautami Tadimalla on Monday said she resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of disillusionment with the party leadership and termed her decision as 'an unimaginable crisis point' in her life. She ended her 25-year association with the saffron, saying that she took the decision with a heavy heart as the party was not supporting her.

Gautami said that she was given assurance over the Rajapalayam seat but it was rescinded at the last minute. Also, she alleged that a section of the party leadership was siding with a person who had defrauded her. Stating that she was swindled of her money, property and documents, she said: "I am at the point where my daughter and I should have been settled, safe and secure" now.

"I had joined the Party 25 years ago to contribute my efforts towards Nation building. Even through all the challenges I have faced in my life, I have honoured that commitment," Gautami said in a letter posted on X to which she had tagged BJP national president Nadda and its Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai.

Gautami said that today she was standing at an unimaginable crisis point in her life and find that not only does she have no support from the Party and leaders, but it has also come to her knowledge that several amongst them have been actively helping and supporting the very person who has betrayed her trust and cheated her of her life earnings.

"I have been working since I was 17 years old, and my career has spanned 37 years across cinema, television, radio and digital media. I have worked my entire life so that I can be financially secure at this age as well as provide for my daughter's future," she said. She said she had filed a series of complaints but the process of getting justice has been inexplicably dragging on.

"Regardless, I maintained my commitment to the Party. However even after 25 years of steadfast loyalty to the Party, it is shattering to realise that there is a complete lack of support," she said.