Published Jun 05, 2026 | 12:58 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 05, 2026 | 6:43 PM
K Annamalai.
Synopsis: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Friday announced a new political movement after his exit from the saffron party. He said it would eventually be expanded into a political party and contest the next general election. He said differences with sections of the BJP leadership over the last 18 months had led to his exit, while maintaining that he remained committed to Tamil Nadu’s interests and identity.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Friday, 5 June announced that he was charting a new political course after exiting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that his organisation, “We The Leader”, would be strengthened and expanded into a larger political movement with the aim of eventually contesting elections.
Earlier in the day, the BJP announced that its national president, Nitin Nabin, had accepted Annamalai’s resignation from the party’s primary membership.
Speaking during a live session on social media, Annamalai appealed to his supporters and the public to join the movement. He said that “We The Leader”, which he founded in 2020, would eventually grow into a political party and contest the next general election.
Annamalai said he had explored different political options before joining the BJP in 2019. He disclosed that actor Rajinikanth had approached him about joining a political initiative. However, he said he ultimately chose the saffron party because of a commitment he had made to the party’s national general secretary, BL Santhosh. He maintained that during his six-year stint in the party, he had never compromised on Tamil Nadu’s identity.
“I am proudly Indian, while also being a proud Tamilian,” he said.
He also maintained that he had consistently argued for the BJP in Tamil Nadu to contest elections independently while retaining a distinct Tamil Nadu identity. According to him, he had persuaded then BJP national president JP Nadda to allow the party to contest local body elections on its own and had similarly advocated an independent contest in the Lok Sabha elections.
Annamalai claimed that the Tamil Nadu BJP unit had firmly protected the state’s rights without compromise and pointed to issues such as the Tungsten mining project and the Mekedatu dam dispute.
Also Read: Modi’s Tamil version: Was Annamalai BJP’s failed experiment or missed opportunity?
Annamalai said he had been at odds with sections of the party leadership for the past 18 months. Though he retained his respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the differences had reached a point where he no longer wished to remain in the organisation, as he did not want to become a “problem” for the leadership.
He said he informed BJP leaders on 4 December 2025 of his decision to leave the party. However, they requested that he remain until election-related responsibilities had been completed.
“National parties never spoke the language that people in Tamil Nadu understood.”
“After my conversations with our senior leadership, I have come to the conclusion that our views don’t align regarding Tamil Nadu”- @annamalai_k in his resignation letter. https://t.co/is2WmfenOp pic.twitter.com/urd9fV7qsd
— Anusha Ravi Sood (@anusharavi10) June 5, 2026
“Now, with happiness and affection, we are going to begin a new political movement for Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Annamalai said building the movement would take time, as it sought to bring technocrats, ideologically driven individuals and talented Tamils from across the world into politics.
He said there was a need to harness the expertise of Tamils holding senior positions globally for the development of Tamil Nadu and argued that the State should be transformed into a leading model state.
He also argued that the “political grammar” of Tamil Nadu needed to change and move away from “cult politics”.
“We need to move away from cult politics and promote common man politics,” he said.
Also Read: ‘No point in continuing’: What BL Santhosh’s blue-eyed boy Annamalai told BJP leadership
In an apparent swipe at the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Annamalai said meaningful change could not be achieved by promising a new political order while continuing to rely on personality-centric politics.
Instead, he said, the movement would seek to foster a system-driven, cadre-based political culture, with institutions taking precedence over individuals.
Annamalai also announced that a new institution, the “Centre for Ethics and Politics”, would be established in Coimbatore in the name of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. According to him, the institution would provide political training to those joining the movement.
He further said his growing engagement on Instagram was part of an effort to attract a new generation to politics. Referring to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, he said young people were seeking change and that politics needed to adapt to their pace and expectations.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
