Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata President (BJP) president K Annamalai on Friday, April 4, ruled himself out of the race for the party’s state leadership, even as speculation mounts over a possible reunion between the BJP and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
“There is no contest in Tamil Nadu BJP, we will select a leader unanimously. But I’m not in the race. I’m not in the BJP state leadership race,” Annamalai said, speaking to the media in Coimbatore. “In the BJP, leaders don’t compete for a party leader post. We all jointly elect a party president. I’m not in the race for that post,” he added.
Annamalai’s decision to opt out comes at a time of intense political activity in Tamil Nadu. AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, triggering speculation that the BJP was working to bring the AIADMK back into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold.
When asked about alliance talks, Annamalai remained non-committal. “I’m not authorised to talk about an alliance or the formation of an alliance at this point of time,” he said. “As the president of Tamil Nadu BJP, the role that is given to me is to strengthen the party in the state. That is what all of us are trying to do. The leaders are with me, the cadres are with me.”
He added that decisions about the alliance will be made by the party’s central leadership. “With respect to the shape and form of the alliance in 2026 and the nature of the NDA, our leadership will take a call at an appropriate time, and naturally the media will be briefed.”
TNM had reported in its Powertrip newsletter on April 1 that Annamalai’s possible stepping down was being seen as a move to facilitate the AIADMK’s return to the NDA. The March 26 meeting between EPS and Shah was significant, not only because it marked Shah’s direct involvement in Tamil Nadu’s political affairs, but also due to the conspicuous absence of Annamalai.
While the meeting was underway, Shah posted on X that there would be an NDA government in Tamil Nadu in 2026, and confirmed during a television summit that discussions with the AIADMK were ongoing. According to party insiders, the BJP high command views the AIADMK’s exit from the NDA before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as a costly mistake — one attributed largely to Annamalai’s stance. Shah is believed to have concluded that reuniting with the AIADMK is critical for the BJP’s long-term ambitions in Tamil Nadu, including the 2029 General Elections.
Though Annamalai had assured the central leadership that the BJP would perform strongly in 2024, the party faced a significant setback as the INDIA alliance, led by the DMK, swept the state. Since then, Annamalai has reportedly been under pressure to align with the leadership’s plans.
Sources in the party said Annamalai submitted a political report on Tamil Nadu, which was not accepted by the leadership. He was subsequently summoned to Delhi and told to cooperate with the AIADMK, despite his reluctance.