Annamalai steps down as the BJP poll in-charge for six TN constituencies
Former BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai announced on Tuesday that he is stepping down as election in-charge for certain constituencies across the state ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, citing personal reasons.
Annamalai is among the senior BJP leaders appointed as in-charge of the party’s 41 priority constituencies, which the BJP aims to contest as part of its alliance with the AIADMK.
Speaking to the media in Coimbatore, he said his decision was prompted by his father’s ill health.
“As my father is unwell and I need to take care of him, which is my first duty, I will not be able to perform basic work or travel extensively. The party has accepted my position and will re-allocate responsibilities to other leaders in those six constituencies,” Annamalai said.
Despite stepping down from the in-charge role, Annamalai clarified that he remains fully available to the party. “I am ready to campaign or take up any other responsibility assigned to me,” he said, adding that the decision was discussed with BJP State President Nainar Nagendran and other senior leaders.
“I will perform whatever role is entrusted to me, for the party, BJP candidates, or for our alliance partner AIADMK. The BJP leadership will decide whether I should contest the elections or take up other election-related work,” he added.
K Annamalai is a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who served in Karnataka before resigning from the service in 2019.