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Putting an end to days of speculation over his political future, former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Annamalai on Friday, June 5, announced a new political movement that he said would eventually evolve into a political party and contest elections in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing an online interaction, Annamalai said he was embarking on a “new path” through a political movement that would approach public issues differently and seek to transform the state’s political culture.
“From today, we are taking a new path through a new political movement that perceives things in a new dimension,” he said.
The movement, named ‘We The Leaders’, has already begun enrolling members. According to reports, more than one lakh people have joined the initiative so far.
He also announced plans to establish the Abdul Kalam Centre for Ethics in Politics in Coimbatore and said the organisation would eventually field candidates in local body elections.
Annamalai said the movement would initially function as a platform before being transformed into a political party.
“I will first bring people together through a movement and then, through political education and engagement, we will transform it into a political party,” he said.
He added that the organisation would contest future elections in Tamil Nadu and sought to bring talented professionals and experts into public life.
“I will bring some of the brightest minds into politics, though that will take some time,” he said, adding that he wanted to reshape the nature of political discourse in the state.
“My aspirations is to change the political language and grammar of Tamil Nadu and intent to lead a movement founded on principles that do not compromise,” he said.
Explaining his decision to leave the BJP, Annamalai said differences with the party leadership had persisted for the past 18 months.
“I have had differences of opinion with the BJP for the past 18 months. In fact, I had informed the party of my decision to leave on December 4 itself”, he said.
According to him, he remained in the party only because he had been asked to stay until election-related responsibilities were completed.
“I am leaving the BJP with the conviction that a new kind of politics must be created, one that can transform the foundations of the existing political structure,” he said.
Despite his departure, Annamalai said he would continue to hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi in high regard and indicated that his new organisation would treat the BJP like any other political party.
As part of his broader vision, Annamalai said he wanted to move away from personality-driven politics and create opportunities for wider participation in public life.
“My aspiration is to move away from cult politics and bring in a politics centred on the common man”, he said.
The former BJP chief also said that before formally launching the movement, he had met veteran communist leader R Nallakannu and sought his blessings.
Earlier in the day, the BJP formally announced that national president Nitin Nabin had accepted Annamalai’s resignation from the party’s primary membership.
A former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Annamalai served in Karnataka before entering politics in 2020.
Hailing from Karur district in Tamil Nadu, he rose rapidly within the BJP and was appointed president of the party’s Tamil Nadu unit in 2021.
The BJP projected him as a young and assertive leader capable of expanding the party’s footprint in a state long dominated by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
However, his tenure as the BJP’s president was marked by tensions with their ally, AIADMK. The alliance eventually collapsed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami publicly blaming Annamalai for the breakdown.
Despite contesting separately, the BJP-led NDA secured around 18% of the vote in Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP alone polling about 11%.
In April 2025, Annamalai stepped down as state president and was replaced by Nainar Nagendran after Union Home Minister Amit Shah facilitated the AIADMK’s return to the NDA.