K Annamalai Quits BJP, Announces New Political Movement
Former Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Says Party Leadership's Vision for State No Longer Aligns With His
- K Annamalai resigns from BJP after meetings with top leadership
- BJP formally accepts resignation from primary membership
- Former IPS officer announces launch of new political movement
- Says his party will contest next Tamil Nadu Assembly elections
GG News Bureau
Chennai, 5th June: In a major political development ahead of the next Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday and announced plans to launch a new political movement that will eventually contest elections in the state.
The BJP confirmed that party president Nitin Nabin had accepted Annamalai’s resignation from the party’s primary membership.
“The National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Hon’ble Shri Nitin Nabin, has accepted the resignation submitted by the Tamil Nadu Ex. State President, Shri K. Annamalai from the primary membership of the Party,” the BJP said in a statement.
The resignation came after several rounds of discussions between Annamalai and the BJP’s top leadership in New Delhi, including meetings with party president Nitin Nabin, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national general secretary B.L. Santhosh.
According to party sources, efforts were made over the past few days to persuade Annamalai to reconsider his decision. Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran was also called to Delhi for consultations before the resignation was formally accepted.
In his resignation letter dated June 2, Annamalai said he had repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the party’s direction in Tamil Nadu over the last 18 months.
“I have come to the conclusion that our views don’t align regarding Tamil Nadu,” he wrote.
The former IPS officer said he had attempted to bridge the gap between national politics and the aspirations of Tamil Nadu’s people, despite facing challenges both within and outside the party.
“National parties never spoke the language that people in Tamil Nadu understood. I have tried to change this belief and also found reasonable success despite multiple roadblocks, barriers and obstructions from both inside and outside,” he said.
Announcing his future plans, Annamalai said he would launch a movement that would eventually evolve into a political party.
“Today, we are going to start a movement. Our political party will contest in the next Assembly election in Tamil Nadu,” he said in a video message to supporters.
Annamalai’s departure follows reported differences over the BJP’s strategy in Tamil Nadu, particularly the decision to revive its alliance with the AIADMK ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Sources said Annamalai had favoured an independent BJP expansion strategy in the state, while the central leadership chose to rebuild ties with the AIADMK. Political observers had also linked his removal as state BJP chief to the alliance negotiations.
Reacting to the development, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran downplayed the impact of the resignation.
“There is no loss for the BJP. The BJP is a big party in the world,” he said.
Andhra Pradesh BJP president P.V.N. Madhav, however, described Annamalai’s exit as a temporary setback and expressed hope that he would return to the party in the future.
Annamalai joined the BJP in 2020 after resigning from the Indian Police Service and quickly rose through the ranks. Within a year, he was appointed state president, becoming one of the BJP’s most prominent leaders in southern India.
Though credited with significantly increasing the BJP’s visibility and vote share in Tamil Nadu, Annamalai did not achieve electoral success, losing both the 2021 Assembly election and the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
His decision to chart an independent political course is expected to add a new dimension to Tamil Nadu’s already complex political landscape.
