Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai on Tuesday met Union home minister Amit Shah and other senior party leaders in what appeared to be a cordial farewell ahead of the former IPS officer’s anticipated political breakaway.
While neither side issued an official statement, sources said Annamalai had informed the leadership about his decision to resign and launch a separate political outfit.
The BJP managers claimed that he had not resigned yet and efforts were on to convince the leader to change his decision. “Wait for the final decision. The party leadership has urged Annamalai not to rush his resignation,” a BJP leader said.
The development comes against the backdrop of Annamalai’s long-running differences with the BJP leadership over its strategy in Tamil Nadu. As state president from 2021 to 2025, he had emerged as the party’s high-profile face in the state and consistently opposed a renewed alliance with the AIADMK, arguing that the BJP should build an independent political base rather than remain reliant on regional partners.
However, the BJP central leadership opted to revive ties with the AIADMK, effectively sidelining Annamalai. The BJP leadership had tried to assuage the leader by offering a Rajya Sabha berth, but he was said to have refused, stressing his decision to remain rooted in the state.
The outcome of the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which saw superstar Vijay's TVK emerge as the single-largest party ahead of the entrenched DMK and AIADMK, appears to have strengthened Annamalai’s resolve to quit the BJP and strike out on his own. The former state BJP chief had largely stayed away from active campaigning during the polls, signalling his disapproval of the party’s alliance with the AIADMK.
Annamalai’s growing divergence from the BJP leadership also became evident when he publicly questioned the Narendra Modi government’s three-language education policy, arguing that it had triggered concerns among parents and students in Tamil Nadu.
The former IPS officer arrived in Delhi on Monday evening and held a series of meetings with BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh and party president Nitin Nabin. He later met Shah, who had bet big on him, in the presence of Santosh. Sources said the BJP leadership made a concerted effort to persuade Annamalai to reconsider his decision.
According to party insiders, Annamalai briefed the leadership on the changing political landscape in Tamil Nadu and argued that a growing section of young voters had become disillusioned with traditional political formations and was looking for a new-age alternative that resonated with their aspirations.
Despite differences, both sides appear keen to ensure an amicable separation. While Annamalai is understood to favour a cordial exit, the BJP is equally reluctant to shut the door on future cooperation.
“The BJP is still searching for a durable foothold in Tamil Nadu. Even if Annamalai launches his own party, the leadership would prefer to keep open the possibility of an alliance — or even a return to the fold — at a later stage,” a senior BJP leader said.