Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai is close to leaving the party and starting a new political group, according to sources. He had led the BJP’s efforts in the state for years and was viewed as its key figure there. His departure stems from prolonged tensions, rival goals, fragile partnerships, election losses, and differences with central leaders. Events before the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls this year appear to have prompted the move.
Annamalai rejected all proposals from the BJP central leadership, sources told India Today TV on Tuesday. He plans to form a party that will challenge the Dravidian political model and emphasize a nationalistic stance, the sources added.
His choice reportedly followed the BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK and worries that the party was softening its stance against Dravidian traditions. He met BJP national president Nitin Nabin and general secretary BL Santhosh in New Delhi on Tuesday to seek an amicable exit.
The former IPS officer had boosted the BJP’s profile in Tamil Nadu, where it had long been weak. Despite higher visibility and vote gains, the party stayed on the sidelines of power. He later appeared sidelined within the party. Speculation now centers on whether he will start a non-political movement or his own party.
Experts link the decision to the BJP’s view that it could not contest the 2026 Assembly elections alone, a stance that disappointed Annamalai. After the AIADMK alliance was set, he resigned as state president. The party overlooked his success in raising its vote share.
In the 2026 polls the BJP ran as a junior AIADMK partner, winning one seat but seeing its vote share fall from over 11 percent to under 3 percent. Some AIADMK legislators favored dropping the BJP. Vijay had ruled out ties with the BJP or its allies.
During his 2021-2025 tenure Annamalai focused on local expansion and independent growth. His direct style, anti-corruption drives, and criticism of the DMK and AIADMK drew wider attention. This approach strained ties with the AIADMK. Friction predated the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His remarks on AIADMK icons angered its leaders, who blamed him for the alliance collapse and demanded an apology and action. The central BJP initially backed him and contested alone, lifting its vote share from 3.6 percent in 2019 to 11.2 percent in 2024, its best Lok Sabha result in the state, though it won no seats. He lost in Coimbatore by over 17,800 votes. His 2021 Assembly defeat had already shown the party’s limits without a strong regional ally.
