Annamalai begins new political journey after BJP exit, eyes Tamil Nadu Assembly elections

Chennai: Hours after resigning from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Friday announced the launch of a new political movement and said it would contest the next Assembly elections in the state.

"Today, we are going to start a movement. Our political party will contest in the next assembly election in Tamil Nadu," ANI quoted Annamalai as saying.

The announcement came after BJP national president Nitin Nabin accepted Annamalai's resignation from the party's primary membership.


Also Read: K Annamalai quits BJP as party accepts resignation


Explaining his decision to leave the BJP, Annamalai said he had informed the party leadership of his intentions months before the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

"It was a great conflict whether I am a BJP person or a Tamilian. I told the party on 4th December 2025 that I am going to resign. The party asked me to finish the elections and then go," he said.

In his resignation letter, Annamalai thanked the BJP leadership for supporting the issues he had raised during his tenure but said differences over Tamil Nadu's future had led him to step away.

"I thank the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party for your unwavering support for the causes and concerns I have consistently brought to their attention from time to time," he said.

"After my conversations with our senior leadership, I have come to the conclusion that our views don't align regarding Tamil Nadu," he added.

The resignation follows Annamalai's visit to New Delhi earlier this week, where he met BJP president Nitin Nabin, BJP general secretary B L Santhosh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Speculation over Annamalai's political future had intensified after the BJP's poor performance in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Contesting 27 seats as part of its alliance with the AIADMK, the party secured around 3% of the vote share.

Supporters have also begun mobilising around Annamalai's next political move. In Coimbatore, posters carrying slogans such as "Our Leader, Come and Lead Us" appeared ahead of his birthday celebrations earlier this month.

Annamalai joined the BJP in 2020 after leaving the Indian Police Service and quickly emerged as one of the party's most prominent leaders in Tamil Nadu. Under his leadership, the BJP increased its vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to 11% from 3% previously, although it failed to win a parliamentary seat.

Following the elections and amid tensions with alliance partner AIADMK, Annamalai was replaced by Nainar Nagendran as the Tamil Nadu BJP chief in 2025. His latest move now sets the stage for a new political challenge in the state ahead of the next Assembly polls.


(With ANI inputs)