K Annamalai Quits BJP Days After Speculation, Announces New Political Movement

Annamalai Resigns From BJP: K. Annamalai has resigned from the BJP, and as per reports, his resignation has been accepted by the party leadership. After weeks of speculation, K Annamalai left the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday. The party’s national president, Nitin Gadkari, accepted his resignation. Annamalai, who led the BJP in Tamil Nadu, is having a press conference at noon to spill the beans on his plans. In an official press statement, “The National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Hon’ble Shri Nitin Nabin, has accepted the resignation submitted by the Tamil Nadu Ex. State President, Shri K. Annamalai from the primary membership of the Party.” 

Yesterday, after a meeting with Amit Shah and Nabin in Delhi, an ex-IPS officer named Annamalai, who recently stepped down, was pressed by the BJP bigwigs to change his mind. This meeting came right after he spoke with the Union Home Minister and another official in the capital.

Annamalai announces new political party 

Just hours after the BJP accepted his resignation, former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai announced he’s gearing up to launch a new political movement. He called it the next chapter in his public life and political journey. Standing in front of reporters, Annamalai didn’t hold back. “For a common man, stepping into politics is a big deal,” he reflected, clearly proud of how far he’s come.

He spoke warmly about his time in the BJP, calling those six years a significant opportunity to learn and grow. But there’s no mistaking it, he’s got his sights set on something bigger now. “Our goals are much bigger,” he said. “We need a kind of politics that actually changes things.”

He even looked back on how it all started. “In the beginning, I joined the party founded by Vijayakanth as an intern. I wanted to learn the ropes.” After that, he moved on to the BJP, where he continued in politics and kept working in public service. And now, he’s ready for what comes next.

When did Annamalai join BJP?

Annamalai joined the BJP on August 25, 2020, at their national headquarters in New Delhi. He’d been a former Karnataka cadre IPS officer who quit the police force in 2019. Soon after, he officially joined politics. 

Why did Annamalai quit BJP?

Annamalai, as per reports, is expected to start a new movement, one that’ll later become a political party. TNM heard the movement’s name might actually come from a phrase made famous by actor Rajnikanth. 

Who is K. Annamalai?

Annamalai used to be an IPS officer in Karnataka, well-known for his work there. Then, in 2020, he switched gears and entered politics at age 40. He’s originally from Karur district in Tamil Nadu. Once he joined the BJP, he moved up fast and became Tamil Nadu’s BJP president in 2021. The party saw him as a young, energetic leader, someone who could help them carve out space in a state usually ruled by the Dravidian parties.

He made his mark by pushing back hard against the DMK government and reaching out across the state with efforts like the En Mann, En Makkal yatra. While he did boost BJP’s presence, it didn’t turn into big wins at the polls. Eventually, he stepped down as state president in 2025. His resignation came in April 2025, after a drawn-out clash with AIADMK leader Edappadi Palanisamy. At one point, AIADMK even briefly left the NDA alliance, and people saw Annamalai’s run-in with Edappadi as the main reason for that.

ALSO READ: Big setback for Shivakumar As CM: Minister Ramalinga Quits, Was Upset Over Portfolio Allocation