Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader K Annamalai on Saturday clarified that he was not denied a ticket for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections, stating that he himself had chosen not to contest and would instead focus on campaigning for the party and its allies.“I had already informed the core committee in writing that I would not be contesting in any constituency. Therefore, it is not that I was denied a ticket the truth is that I chose not to contest the election,” Annamalai told reporters at Chennai airport.
The clarification comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 27 candidates for the April 23 assembly polls, with Annamalai’s absence drawing attention across political circles.
Annamalai said he would take on a broader organisational role during the elections while campaigning for BJP across multiple states.“… In this election, my role is to campaign for candidates across Tamil Nadu. Right now, the party has given me the responsibility to campaign in Puducherry and Kerala till the 7th (April). From the 7th to the 23rd, I have to campaign for all BJP and NDA candidates across Tamil Nadu. That is the responsibility given by the party to me. I’ll be fulfilling that responsibility,” he said.He also expressed gratitude to the party leadership for accepting his decision.“When I did not express any interest in contesting, how could the leadership allocate me a ticket? If I had decided to contest, it wouldn’t have mattered which constituency I could have contested from anywhere. I am grateful to the BJP leadership for respecting my decision and giving me the opportunity to campaign in support of the NDA alliance candidates,” he added.However, there were reports that Annamalai had conveyed to the party national leadership his “extreme” displeasure over the constituencies allocated for the national party by the AIADMK.Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran termed Annamalai’s absence from candidate list a leadership call.“This is a decision from the high command…,” Nagendran said, expressing confidence in the party’s candidates. “All the 27 candidates will surely win this time.”Despite not contesting, Annamalai remains central to the BJP’s campaign strategy. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said his popularity would benefit the party across the state.“Annamalai is the most popular leader of the BJP, not just in Tamil Nadu, but he commands a large following all over the country. He has been given the responsibility of campaigning for all the candidates in Tamil Nadu. I am extremely confident that Annamalai’s popularity and his campaign all across Tamil Nadu will translate into victory for the BJP candidates all across the state,” Surya said.The BJP’s candidate list includes senior leaders such as Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North, and Union minister L Murugan from Avinashi.Annamalai, a former IPS officer known as “Singham”, had earlier served as the Tamil Nadu BJP president before being replaced by Nagendran. He played a key role in expanding the party’s presence in the state and led outreach initiatives such as the “En Mann, En Makkal” yatra.The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led in the state by the AIADMK. Under the alliance arrangement, the AIADMK will contest 169 of the 234 seats, while the BJP will contest 27 seats alongside other allies.Tamil Nadu will go to polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the NDA, with actor-turned-politician Vijay also entering the fray.Why the move may work for BJPAnnamalai is freed from constituency-level responsibilities, allowing him to campaign extensively across multiple regions. His role as a star campaigner strengthens BJP’s outreach across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.This also helps BJP to push for a stable alliance with AIADMK. His absence reduces friction with Edappadi K Palaniswami, aiding smoother alliance coordination.Annamalai was known for his ruthless criticism of AIADMK and DMK. Subsequently, EPS had made Annamalai’s ouster from state politics a precondition for alliance talks ahead of the polls.The leadership transition to Nainar Nagendran signalled a more alliance-friendly and structured approach. It allowed the party to project a unified command and avoid internal contradictions during elections.What might go against BJPAnnamalai’s absence from the ballot could demoralise grassroots workers who viewed him as a key leader. BJP risks weakening its independent “third force” narrative in Tamil Nadu politics.His aggressive campaign style, which attracted younger voters, may not fully translate without him contesting. The move may create confusion among voters regarding the party’s leadership direction in the state.It could be perceived as BJP conceding space to AIADMK within the alliance structure. Lack of a strong face as a candidate may also impact local-level electoral momentum.
