"Our Views Don't Align": K Annamalai's Resignation Letter To BJP

In the end, the two were not compatible.

A break-up was inevitable.

K Annamalai said he expressed his "disagreements" with the top BJP leadership over the last 18 months before deciding to cut ties with the party.

"I would recall the multiple conversations with the top leadership and the disagreements I have expressed over the last 18 months. I do not want to burden the top leadership any further with my ongoing thoughts on the way forward for a growth-oriented and culturally rooted politics in Tamil Nadu. After my conversation with our senior leadership, I have come to the conclusion that our views don't align regarding Tamil Nadu," Annamalai said in his resignation letter to BJP chief Nitin Nabin on June 2.

Read | 'Singam' K Annamalai: BJP's Tamil Nadu Star Rose Fast, Fell Faster

The 41-year-old leader flew down to Delhi, met party chief Nitin Nabin on Tuesday and said he wants to end the partnership on "cordial terms". A meeting with Amit Shah and BL Santhosh, the man credited with spotting the talent in Annamalai, followed.

He was told to wait. Backroom negotiations followed. 

After a tense wait, the party, on Friday, accepted his resignation.

In his letter, Annamalai said "national parties never spoke the language that people in Tamil Nadu understood". 

"After much thought, I believe the time has come for me to step out of the party, reflect on the actual purpose of my entering politics, and sail where the winds take me in future," he wrote to the BJP chief.

The outgoing leader, who joined the party "inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi", thanked the BJP leadership for "trusting a very young and raw me with great responsibility and leadership positions".   

Annamalai resigned from the civil services and joined the BJP in 2020. Within weeks, he was appointed the state vice president.

A year later, the BJP elevated him to the state unit chief. He was 37 at the time.

He said he joined the party six years ago, "seeking to bring positive change to Tamil Nadu and improve how politics is conducted in the state". 

"I wanted to change the notion that politics is a path only for the elite and a select few, not for the common man," he said.