Annamalai Promises to Usher in New Shift in TN Politics

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai, who quit the party on Friday, said he was beginning a new political journey aiming to usher in "common man politics," distancing itself from traditional personality-driven politics and rejecting sycophancy and hereditary power.

Emphasising the need for such a new political movement, he said it would not be about a name, but about an idea.

"Let's change ourselves, and change will happen naturally... the movement's core principle is let's change, let's bring change (maruvom, maatruvom)," the former IPS officer said in his social media address, outlining his political approach.

Expressing a desire to move away from "cult politics", 42-year-old Annamalai said he would instead build a "common man" politics that prioritises the needs of the people.

However, he clarified that his movement was not competing with existing parties. "We are not here to compete with anyone. Let the ruling party and the opposition parties exist. They can express their policies, and we will express ours in due time," he said in the address.

"Our politics is not for the sake of opposing. How we view the DMK, AIADMK, NTK, Seeman (NTK founder), Anbumani (PMK leader), G K Vasan (TMC Moopanar), A C Shanmugam, Paarivendhar, John Pandian, Krishnasamy, Vaiko, Premalatha madam - in Tamil Nadu, is exactly how I will view the Bharatiya Janata Party," he said.

Annamalai stated that as per the Tamil culture, his principle was to inform and exit an organisation with respect and described his departure from the BJP as an extension of Tamil virtue.

"Even when leaving, stating it respectfully and leaving is our virtue," he noted. His decision was reached amicably after direct conversations with senior party leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders, Annamalai added.

Stating that he had state-level differences, Annamalai said he had informed the BJP leadership, including Shah, of his intent to quit the party 18 months ago, specifically on December 4, 2024.

He had delayed the announcement to leave the party to complete his Assembly election-related responsibilities till May-end.

"It was a great conflict whether I am a BJP person or a Tamilian. I told the party on December 4, 2024, that I am going to resign. The party asked me to finish the elections and then go," he said.

Following his conversations with the senior leaders, he came to the conclusion that the party's views don't align regarding Tamil Nadu, he claimed.

Tracing his political journey from 2009 under the guidance of "Captain" Vijayakanth, founder of DMDK, he said before joining the BJP in 2020, Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth had invited him to join his movement. But he joined the BJP to honour a commitment he had previously made.

He announced the launch of an organisation: wetheleader.org to connect with new volunteers and setting up of the APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Ethics and Politics in Coimbatore. Volunteers could register through the website, he added.

A step-by-step approach would be taken to build "organisational muscle fiber" before rushing headfirst into party mechanics.

He proposed a radical restructuring to introduce strict term limits for elected representatives within his future party framework, shifting the focus from the Chief Minister's office to strengthening over 30,000 local body representatives and imposing a cap on the number of times an individual could serve as an MLA or MP.

"No chair is permanent for anybody. It will apply to everyone - it will apply to me as well," Annamalai stressed.

On regional policy, he said he would prioritise Tamil Nadu's welfare and recounted internal resistance in the past against the Central directive on language policy and interstate water disputes. He said that he would maintain his dual identity as a proud Tamilian and an Indian.

He urged his followers and "warriors" to remain highly responsible online, avoid obscenities, and refrain from venting at political opponents.

Annamalai called upon the people of the state to unite for a "grand revolution" aimed at positioning the state as the premier region within the country.

"Certainly, all of us joining together to bring a grand revolution, a change for Tamil Nadu—to bring Tamil Nadu as the primary state within Bharat —is our only goal and nothing else," Annamalai stated and expressed his gratitude to his supporters and once again appealed to his supporters to participate in "change".

He concluded his speech by stating that he held no animosity towards anyone, but respected all political leaders, and aimed to work towards making Tamil Nadu the leading state in India.