Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), bringing an end to months of speculation over his future in the party. The BJP leadership has accepted his resignation.
The development comes days after Annamalai met Amit Shah in New Delhi on June 2 amid growing buzz about his possible exit from the saffron party. Reports citing sources said the former IPS officer had informed the party's top leadership about his decision to step down and submitted a five-page resignation letter.
Soon after tendering his resignation, Annamalai reportedly held a meeting with Shah at the Union Home Minister's residence. The discussions are believed to have centred on his future political plans and concerns he had raised with the party leadership.
According to reports, Annamalai is expected to make a major political announcement in Chennai on Friday, fuelling speculation about his next move. However, neither he nor the BJP has officially disclosed details regarding the announcement.
A former Indian Police Service officer who served in Karnataka, Annamalai entered politics in 2020 and quickly emerged as one of the BJP's most recognisable faces in Tamil Nadu. Hailing from Karur district, he was appointed Tamil Nadu BJP president in 2021 and was projected as a young and aggressive leader tasked with expanding the party's presence in a state traditionally dominated by Dravidian parties.
During his tenure, Annamalai gained prominence through high-profile campaigns against the ruling DMK government and efforts to strengthen the BJP's grassroots network in the state. However, political tensions emerged within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after Edappadi K Palaniswami and the AIADMK blamed Annamalai for the breakdown of the BJP-AIADMK alliance. The dispute became a major political flashpoint in Tamil Nadu.
In April 2025, Annamalai stepped down as Tamil Nadu BJP chief after Shah played a key role in facilitating the AIADMK's return to the NDA fold. Since then, speculation had persisted regarding his role within the party and his relationship with the central leadership. Annamalai's resignation marks a major setback for the BJP in Tamil Nadu, where he had emerged as one of the party's most prominent and visible leaders.
