Is Annamalai headed to Delhi? What's next for former Tamil Nadu BJP chief

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai. (File photo/PTI)

Union Minister Amit Shah on Friday praised former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai for his role in strengthening the party presence in the state.

This was just after BJP MLA from Tirunelveli, Nainar Nagenthiran, named the chief of BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit. Shah also announced that AIADMK and BJP will contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections together as part of the NDA alliance.

“As the President of the Tamil Nadu BJP unit, Shri K Annamalai Ji has made commendable accomplishments. Whether it is carrying the policies of PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji to people or the programs of the party from village to village, Annamalai Ji’s contribution has been unprecedented," Shah wrote in an X post.

He also indicted that the party will “leverage Annamalai Ji's organizational skills in the party's national framework”.

Annamalai earlier said he was not in the race for the post of the Tamil Nadu BJP chief. He resigned from the post last week.

"I am not in the race for the post of the new state president. I am not ready for any quarrel (related to the next chief and whether he has any preference for any particular leader) and I am not in the race," Annamalai said.

Who is Annamalai?

Annamalai, a 2011-batch IPS officer, joined the BJP in 2020. An engineering graduate with an MBA from IIM-Lucknow, Annamalai once aspired to be an entrepreneur. However, he turned to a career in civil services “to remain connected with people”.

During his eight-year career as an IPS officer, he earned the moniker “Singham Anna” due to his policing style. “Singham’” which means lion, seeks to draw a parallel between him and the supercop portrayed by Ajay Devgn in the eponymous 2011 film.

Why Annamalai may head to Delhi?

According to reports, the former IPS officer is being considered for a seat in the Rajya Sabha or a key role in the BJP brass.

Annamalai's predecessor, L Murugan, had also been made a Union minister after he was removed as the head of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP.

It is also being said when AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami met Shah in New Delhi last week he had insisted on Annamalai's ouster as a condition for allying with the BJP again. In 2023, Annamalai had reportedly threatened to quit if the BJP allied with its former partner AIADMK for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His sharp criticism of AIADMK icons J Jayalalithaa and CN Annadurai also reportedly pushed the BJP and the AIADMK to go their separate ways.

Also, Annamalai and Palaniswami belong to the Gounder community. In removing Annamalai, the BJP may have tried to balance caste equations to have a better chance in the Assembly elections. Else, Annamalai could have been seen by the AIADMK as a direct challenger to EPS.

However, Annamalai’s expertise in electoral strategy makes him ideal for a prominent organisational role. The BJP never made any significant electoral gains in Tamil Nadu since Annamalai was appointed the chief of its state unit in 2021. However, he is credited with giving the BJP much more visibility.

Also, many feel that the BJP could be on the lookout for an articulate and impactful speaker in the Upper House to debate with Opposition leaders from southern states.