TOI Exclusive: Annamalai to quit BJP, launch new political party

CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai will quit the party “in a couple of days” after meeting party national president Nitin Nabin and Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday.Sources confirmed that Annamalai will launch a new political party, though not immediately.Sources added Annamalai has been having serious differences with the party leadership for several months.While he wanted BJP to build its organisational strength without aligning with AIADMK, the national leadership insisted on the alliance with the sole intention of defeating DMK.Giant posters have been put up by supporters of Annamalai across Coimbatore on Monday amid reports of his growing differences with the BJP leadership.The posters, carrying slogans such as “Our Leader, Come and Lead Us,” have appeared on major roads and streets in the city ahead of Annamalai’s birthday.A former IPS officer, Annamalai joined the BJP in 2020 and served as the party’s Tamil Nadu president from 2021 to 2025.During his tenure, he emerged as one of the party’s most visible faces in the state, undertaking statewide campaigns and attracting significant support among youth and social media users.Speculation about his next move intensified after the 2026 assembly elections.His recent criticism of the Centre’s decision to advance the implementation of the three-language policy for Class IX students has also triggered this talk among political debate.