Former TN chief Annamalai formally quits BJP to start ‘new movement’

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin has formally accepted the resignation of former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai from the party’s primary membership. The decision was announced on Friday through an official party statement, confirming that Annamalai's resignation had been accepted by the national leadership.

The development comes three days after Annamalai met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Nitin Nabin and BJP National General Secretary B. L. Santhosh before submitting his resignation letter to the party leadership on June 2. The former Tamil Nadu BJP chief is expected to announce a new political movement in the near future. He had earlier stated that he would share details regarding his future political course through social media.

A former Karnataka-cadre IPS officer, Annamalai joined the BJP in August 2020 and quickly emerged as one of the party’s prominent leaders in Tamil Nadu. He served as president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit from July 2021 until April 2025, when Nainar Nagenthran succeeded him. During his political career with the BJP, Annamalai contested the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election from Aravakurichi and the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Coimbatore, but was unsuccessful in both contests. He did not contest the recent Assembly elections.