By Dharmesh Prajapati

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party after critical disagreements with the central leadership over its alliance strategy in the stta. The development comes hours before Annamalai was to address a press conference at noon.

“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 saffron party said in the morning.

He is expected to launch a new regional “people’s movement” aimed at attracting young professionals and voters looking for an alternative political platform.

The former IPS officer travelled to Delhi, met party chief Nitin Nabin on Tuesday and said he wants to end the partnership on “cordial terms”. A meeting with Amit Shah and BL Santhosh, the man credited with spotting the talent in Annamalai, followed.

The party tried to reach to a negotiation. Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran was called to Delhi on Thursday. Another round of talks began.

Annamalai’s Connection With BJP

Annamalai joined the saffron party in 2020 after resigning as an IPS officer. Referred to as ‘Singham’ by his supporters, the former IPS officer was made BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit chief in 2021, as he succeeded L Murugam, who was made a union minister. 

Since then, Annamalai’s stature kept increasing in the BJP. Under his leadership, the BJP also ended its ties with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), only to realign with it for the recently held assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. 

The development comes against the backdrop of reported internal dispute within the party following his replacement as state unit president by Nainar Nagenthran and the BJP’s renewed electoral alliance with the AIADMK for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.