After days of intense speculation, former Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) primary membership on June 5. His resignation letter has been accepted by BJP national president Nitin Nabin, the party said in a press release.
Annamalai conveyed his decision to the party’s high command on June 2. In his resignation letter, he recalled that he had been “inspired” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the BJP.
Thanking the party, he said, “I wanted to change the notion that politics is a path only for the elite and a select few, not for the common man … The people of the state were fatigued by the general political discourse for many decades and yearned for change.”
Annamalai added, “National parties never spoke the language that people in Tamil Nadu understood. I have tried to change this belief and also found reasonable success despite multiple roadblocks, barriers and obstructions from both inside and outside.”
Describing himself as “a nationalist deeply rooted in regional aspirations”, Annamalai said, “I take immense pride in the richness of my language, the diversity of my culture and the unique heritage of my region. I firmly believe that a strong and united India is built upon the strength, dignity and aspirations of its many regions and communities.”
He further said, “After my conversations with our senior leadership, I have come to the conclusion that our views don't align regarding Tamil Nadu.”
He added that he intends to reflect on the actual purpose of his entry into politics. He is now expected to launch a movement, which will later be turned into a political party. TNM has learnt that the name of the movement may be a phrase popularised by actor Rajnikanth.
Annamalai joined the BJP in 2021 and served as the party’s state president until April 2025.
Tension flared in 2025 leading the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to walk out of the NDA. At the time, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami blamed Annamalai for the rift.
Nainar Nagendran took over as BJP state president in April 2025 and the AIADMK eventually returned to the NDA.