"Difference in opinion....expressing this to BJP leaders for 18 months": K Annamalai after resigning from BJP

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 5 : Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Friday resigned from the party's primary membership and said he had been expressing differences of opinion with the party leadership for the past 18 months.
He said he had informed the party about his decision earlier but was asked to continue till the elections were over, adding that he completed his responsibilities before stepping down. Addressing the timeline of his decision, Annamalai clarified that his resignation was not a reactive or sudden move.
Annamalai highlighted that his decision to step down was managed in consultation with the party high command, who requested he remain in his role until the conclusion of the recent election cycle.
In a video, Annamalai said, "I had a difference in opinion. I had been expressing this to the BJP leaders for 18 months. I told the party on 4 December 2025 that I am going to resign and that they should not think that I've made the decision hurriedly. The party asked me to wait till the end of the elections and then leave. As a true cadre, I finished my election work till the end."
He also announced that he will form a new political "movement", which will contest in the next Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The announcement came hours after he resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Today, we are going to start a movement. Our political party will contest in the next assembly election in Tamil Nadu," he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party National President Nitin Nabin accepted Annamalai's resignation from the primary membership of the party today.
In his resignation letter, Annamalai thanked the BJP leadership for the unwavering support over the years. He reasoned that different views on Tamil Nadu were behind his decision to step out of the party.
"I thank the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party for your unwavering support for the causes and concerns I have consistently brought to their attention from time to time," he said."After my conversations with our senior leadership, I have come to the conclusion that our views don't align regarding Tamil Nadu," he added.
The development comes three days after Annamalai visited New Delhi, where he met with BJP chief Nabin, the party's General Secretary BL Santhosh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The resignation comes following the completion of the 2026 electoral process, where Annamalai played a central role in managing the party's campaign and constituency strategies. His departure marks a notable shift in the state's political landscape, leaving analysts to speculate on his future path and the impact his exit will have on the BJP's organizational structure in the region.