Annamalai won't contest TN polls; may get national role: Reports
What's the story
Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai is unlikely to contest the 2026 Assembly elections. Instead, he is likely to be given a national-level role in the party, India Today reported, quoting party sources. While there has been no official announcement from the central leadership of the BJP, discussions are underway about repositioning Annamalai in a key national role in Delhi.
Leadership transition
Amit Shah's earlier remarks on Annamalai's future
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had confirmed last month that Annamalai will have an important role in state politics, and he will also be given responsibilities at the national level. This isn't the first time Shah has hinted at a bigger role for Annamalai beyond Tamil Nadu. In April, after Annamalai stepped down as state BJP president, Shah praised his tenure and said, "The BJP will leverage Annamalai Ji's organizational skills in the party's national framework."
Career trajectory
Annamalai's journey with BJP so far
Annamalai, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Karnataka cadre, had joined the BJP in 2020. He was made Tamil Nadu state president in 2021. Although he contested the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat in 2024, he lost to DMK's Ganapathy Rajkumar. Despite this setback, his leadership has been praised for expanding the BJP's footprint in Tamil Nadu and taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies to grassroots levels.
Annamalai
DMK's days are numbered: Annamalai
While an official confirmation is awaited, Annamalai expressed confidence that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win the polls. "The party is very clear that the DMK has to be thrown out of power. Our national leaders have made a decision that the elections will be fought under the leadership of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami," he told NDTV. "The BJP is also getting into a battle mode. The DMK's days are numbered," he added.