K Annamalai Likely To Quit BJP, Launch Own Party: Sources

K Annamalai, the former Tamil Nadu BJP chief, claims there is no opportunity or future for him in the party and is likely to quit after a meeting with party chief Nitin Nabin later today, sources have told NDTV.

The development comes nearly a month after the Tamil Nadu polls, where the BJP won just one seat in the 234-member House. 

"Please wait. We will sit down and talk in two days," Annamalai told a posse of reporters as he arrived at Chennai airport to catch a flight to Delhi.

Curiously, the vehicle in which he arrived at the airport did not display a BJP flag.

"Annamalai feels there is no opportunity and future for him in the BJP," a source familiar with the developments told NDTV, explaining the reasons behind his reported decision.

Posters featuring slogans like "Our Leader, Come and Lead Us" have been put up along key roads and streets in the city ahead of Annamalai's birthday on June 4.

The 41-year-old, IPS officer-turned-politician, was offered a Rajya Sabha seat, sources have told NDTV. Annamalai, NDTV has learnt, refused the offer. 

Sources say the politician is likely to launch a movement first and a party later. 

The initiative, multiple sources say, is aimed at enrolling like-minded individuals and building a strong volunteer network. The new movement is expected to operate on a larger scale and seek to attract volunteers from diverse professional and social backgrounds.

He already runs a non-profit leadership initiative called "We The Leaders", which may serve as the foundation for his larger political project.

Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he joined the BJP in 2020 and was immediately appointed the state vice-president. A year later, he was elevated as Tamil Nadu BJP president after L Murugan moved to the Union government.

During his tenure as state chief, Annamalai significantly raised the BJP's visibility in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by the Dravidian majors. Through aggressive campaigns, extensive grassroots tours and social media outreach, he helped expand the party's organisational footprint and built a substantial personal following.

Annamalai had favoured the BJP contesting the state polls independently, banking on the momentum he believed the party had built in recent years. The BJP leadership, however, revived its alliance with the AIADMK, a move widely seen as a strategic decision to consolidate opposition votes against the ruling DMK.

The return of the alliance came after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami reportedly insisted on leadership changes within the Tamil Nadu BJP, leading to Annamalai being replaced as state president.

Fuelling speculation that he was being sidelined within the party, Annamalai neither contested the 2026 Assembly election nor played a prominent role in the BJP campaign.