Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Tuesday submitted his resignation to the party leadership during a meeting with BJP national president Nitin Nabin in New Delhi.
After the meeting, Annamalai also met Union Home minister Amit Shah before leaving for Chennai.
Five-page resignation letter submitted
Speculation around Annamalai’s future in the BJP had been growing for months, especially after he was replaced as the Tamil Nadu BJP president by Nainar Nagendran.
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According to sources cited by News18, Annamalai met Nitin Nabin and BJP organisation secretary BL Santhosh and submitted a five-page resignation letter. During the discussions, he reportedly conveyed his wish to leave the party on cordial terms.
Sources said the former IPS officer told the leadership that he wants to “chart his own course now".
Despite the resignation, BJP leaders are still believed to be trying to convince him to remain in the party. Reports suggest that a national-level role for Annamalai is also being considered.
Sources further claimed that he had earlier been asked not to leave Delhi until further instructions from the party leadership.
Political changes in Tamil Nadu
Annamalai’s possible exit is being viewed as a significant development in Tamil Nadu politics, especially at a time when actor-turned-politician Vijay is emerging as a major political force in the state.
According to sources close to Annamalai and cited by News18, he believes the political environment in Tamil Nadu has changed rapidly in recent years.
“There is no leader to fight Vijay today. The Dravidian era is over. Politics centred on language issues alone will no longer work. The politics of the state have changed," a source aware of the discussions was quoted as saying by News18.
Amid growing speculation over his next move, supporters of Annamalai reportedly put up posters in Madurai asking him to take his “next avatar" and “save Tamil Nadu".
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What lies ahead
The buzz around Annamalai’s future intensified after the BJP replaced him as the state unit chief in 2025 while attempting to revive its alliance with the AIADMK ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
His aggressive political style and remarks concerning MGR and J Jayalalithaa had reportedly strained relations between the BJP and AIADMK.
Annamalai, who entered politics in 2020 and later became the BJP’s youngest Tamil Nadu chief, is now reportedly considering launching a people’s movement. However, it remains unclear whether it could eventually evolve into a political party.
