Annamalai not to contest 2026 Tamil Nadu polls, may get national role: BJP sources

Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai is unlikely to contest the 2026 Assembly elections in the state, according to sources from the party. The BJP is instead expected to assign him a national-level role ahead of a broader organisational revamp.

Although there has been no official announcement from the BJP’s central leadership, sources within the party said discussions have been ongoing about repositioning Annamalai in a key national role in Delhi.

Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had confirmed that Annamalai will play an important role in the state politics and will also be given responsibilities at the national level.

This isn’t the first time Shah has hinted at a bigger role for Annamalai beyond Tamil Nadu. Back in April 2025, after Annamalai stepped down as the state BJP president and Nainar Nagendran was appointed his successor, Shah had lauded his tenure. “As the President of the Tamil Nadu BJP unit, Shri K Annamalai Ji has made commendable accomplishments... The BJP will leverage Annamalai Ji's organisational skills in the party's national framework,” Shah had posted on X at the time.

Describing Annamalai’s leadership as “commendable,” Shah noted his efforts in expanding the party’s footprint in Tamil Nadu and taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies to the grassroots.

Annamalai, a former IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre who joined the BJP in 2020, was made the Tamil Nadu state president in 2021. Though Annamalai contested the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat last year, he was defeated by DMK’s Ganapathy Rajkumar.

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