Chennai: It is now official. Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has quit the party despite all efforts by the top leadership to dissuade him from doing so.
He has also announced the launch of a new party.
In his resignation letter, the former IPS officer cited differences with the party’s top leadership over the future political direction of Tamil Nadu.
In a resignation letter addressed to BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Annamalai thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party leadership for giving him an opportunity to serve in key positions despite his relatively recent entry into politics, as reported by News18.
He joined the BJP six years ago with the aim of bringing positive change to Tamil Nadu and altering the perception that politics serves only a privileged few, Annamalai said.
However, disagreements with the party leadership had widened over the past 18 months, he indicated.
“After my conversations with our senior leadership, I have come to the conclusion that our views don’t align regarding Tamil Nadu,” he wrote.
He did not wish to burden the party further with his ongoing concerns and believed it was time to pursue a different political path focused on the state’s future, Annamalai said.
“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 the future,” he said in the letter.
He sought immediate relief from his organisational responsibilities, requesting the party to accept his resignation from its primary membership with immediate effect.
Emphasising that his departure was amicable, he added, “It is part of Tamil culture to part ways respectfully after expressing one’s views.”
Annamalai also hinted at the launch of a new political initiative, saying “a new movement and a new dimension in politics” would soon take shape.
Describing his six years in the BJP as a valuable learning experience, he thanked the organisation for the opportunities it provided.
“We consider the six years we spent working in the BJP as a significant opportunity and learning experience,” he said, adding that he continues to hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the highest regard.
“Our goals are much bigger now. There is a need for a politics that can bring about real change,” he said, suggesting that his political journey was entering a new phase.
“A new movement and a new dimension in politics, emerging from our core principles, is about to begin,” Annamalai said.
“We have to come out of one individual driven politics. We need common-man politics,” he added.
“I will contest the next general elections independently,” he said, clarifying his political ambitions..
Annamalai also spoke on how he joined the BJP in the first place. According to him, it was based on the assurance and commitment given to him by senior party leader B L Santhosh.
“I joined the BJP based on the assurance and commitment given to me by B L Santhosh. I am revealing this now to put an end to the various speculations surrounding my entry into the party,” he said.
He also revealed that actor Rajinikanth had invited him to join his political movement shortly before he entered active politics.
Rajinikanth approached him a day before he formally joined the BJP, Annamalai said.
“Just a day before I formally joined the BJP, Rajinikanth invited me to become a part of his movement. However, I eventually chose to join the BJP and continued my political journey there,” he said.
With Vijay’s newly launched TVK sweeping into power in Tamil Nadu, all eyes are now on Annamalai and his next move.
