New Delhi: Former president of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP, K. Annamalai on Tuesday met party chief Nitin Nabin and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, amid speculation that he had tendered his resignation to the party chief, but there is no confirmation yet on whether it has been accepted.
Although the party is expected to take a phone call in the next two days, Annamalai has put forward some demands including his reinstatement as party president in the state, a party leader familiar with the details said.
The former IPS official turned politician joined the party in 2020 after leaving the service to make his political debut.
“He has now indicated that he wants to leave the organization to start his own party, which could be political. But he has also shown interest in giving him the freedom to run the state unit as president. He has informed the high command that he needs a few years to build the party in the state, which is why the BJP will have to go ahead with its decisions, like going solo and reaching out to the youth,” a party leader said.
The former police official, who also met PL Santhosh, national general secretary (organization), hinted that he wants to create his own outfit, which will be largely apolitical initially but will emerge as an alternative to the Dravidian parties.
“He sees that there is space for a new entity as the two regional satraps, DMK and AIADMK are no longer favored on the ground. Congress and BJP also could not occupy this space, which is why TVK actor Vijay was able to sweep the elections. He wants to give the youth an alternative,” the leader quoted above said.
HT had earlier reported that Annamalai had rejected the party’s offer for a Rajya Sabha seat and had also refused to join the national team.
“He confirms that he wants to focus on the state,” the leader said. “He was undoubtedly one of the most popular and recognizable faces of the BJP in the state, with an obvious fan following due to his speeches and tough police image,” the leader said.
Annamalai, who did not contest the last Assembly elections, was appointed as the state president in July 2021 and was replaced by Nainar Nagendran in April 2025. After facing electoral defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and after the party’s poor performance in the state, he went on a three-month academic leave to the UK, sparking speculation that he would be replaced as party president.
Even as he chose aggressive outreach and narrative to take on the DMK, he faced opposition from within a section of party leaders and from the AIADMK, the BJP’s ally in TN. Annamalai on many occasions preferred to sever ties with the AIADMK and for the BJP to go it alone in the state.
