Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai has decided to quit the party and start his own political outfit, according to several sources TNM spoke to. According to sources, Annamalai will convey his decision to the party leaders on June 2. He is expected to launch a people’s 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.
“The meeting with the national BJP president would be a courtesy call to thank the leadership,” a Tamil Nadu BJP leader said. The leader added that many in the party were still hopeful that the national leadership would make Annamalai a Minister of State and prevent him from leaving the party.
If Annamalai does break away from the BJP and begin his own unit, it would be another major political move in the state since the formation of the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) by Vijay.
Another political leader from the state said that Annamalai felt within a year or two, there would be a section of people who would be disillusioned with TVK, especially the educated urban and semi-urban youth. “If you look at the state as a market, there is the possibility of splitting further. Annamalai believes that he can tap the educated lot. Many of the BJP’s voters will also drift to him,” he added.
A former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Annamalai served as an officer in Karnataka in a high-profile career. He entered politics in 2020 when he was 40. A native of Karur district in Tamil Nadu, he quickly rose through the ranks of the BJP and was appointed the party’s Tamil Nadu president in 2021. He was projected by the BJP as a youthful and assertive leader capable of expanding the party’s footprint in a state long dominated by the Dravidian majors.
Annamalai built his political profile through aggressive campaigns against the ruling DMK government and extensive statewide outreach programmes, including the En Mann, En Makkal yatra. Despite raising the BJP’s visibility, he was unable to translate that momentum into a major electoral breakthrough, and stepped down as state president in 2025.
Annamalai resigned as party president in April 2025 after a prolonged spat with AIADMK leader Edappadi Palanisamy. AIADMK’s decision to briefly walk out of the NDA was attributed to Annamalai’s tiff with Edappadi. When the AIADMK was brought back into the NDA fold, it was believed that the party leadership had asked Annamalai to take a backseat. In the run-up to the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, Annamalai resigned as the party’s election in-charge for six constituencies, claiming that his father was unwell. He also later refused to contest the elections.
With Vijay’s victory completely altering Tamil Nadu politics, many, including Annamalai, believe there is space for new parties. The buzz within Tamil Nadu’s political circles is whether Rajinikanth would help Annamalai in any form. When Annamalai quit as an IPS officer, he had approached Rajinikanth, offering to join the actor’s party. However, the party never materialised.
Also read an in-depth profile of Annamalai covering his career in Karnataka and his beginnings in Tamil politics:
