New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader K Annamalai on Saturday clarified that he has not been denied a ticket to contest in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and said he himself has chosen not to contest and instead focus on campaigning for the party and its allies.“I have informed the core committee in writing that I will not contest from any constituency. So, it is not that I was denied a ticket, the fact is that I chose not to contest the election,” Annamalai told reporters at the Chennai airport.A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 27 candidates for the April 23 assembly elections, Annamalai’s absence raised eyebrows in the political circles.
Annamalai said he would play a wider organizational role during the elections while campaigning for the BJP in multiple states.“…In this election, my duty is to campaign for candidates in Tamil Nadu. Now, the party has given me the responsibility to campaign in Puducherry and Kerala till 7th (April). From 7th to 23rd, I have to campaign for all the BJP and NDA candidates in Tamil Nadu. This is the responsibility given to me by the party. I will fulfill this responsibility,” he said.He also expressed his gratitude to the party leadership for accepting his decision.“How can the leadership allot me a ticket when I have not shown any interest in contesting? If I decide to contest, it does not matter which constituency I can contest from anywhere. I am grateful to the BJP leadership for respecting my decision and giving me an opportunity to campaign in support of the NDA candidate,” he added.However, there are reports that Annamalai has expressed to the party’s national leadership his “extreme” dissatisfaction with the AIADMK in allocating constituencies to the national party.Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran viewed Annamalai’s absence from the list of candidates as a leadership call.“This is the decision of the high command…,” Nagendran said, expressing confidence in the party’s candidate. “This time all 27 candidates will definitely win.”Despite not contesting the election, 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 and has a huge following not just in Tamil Nadu but across the country. He has been given the responsibility of campaigning for all candidates in Tamil Nadu. I am very confident that Annamalai’s popularity and his campaigning in Tamil Nadu will translate into victories for the BJP candidates across the state,” Surya said.The BJP’s candidate list includes senior leaders like Tamilisai Soundarajan from Mylapore, Vanasi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North and Union Minister Murugan from Avinash.Annamalai, a former Intelligence Bureau officer nicknamed “Singham”, had previously served as Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president before being replaced by Nagendran. He played a key role in expanding the party’s reach in the state and led outreach campaigns such as the “En Mann, En Makkal” pilgrimage.The BJP is contesting the election as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the AIADMK in the state. As per the alliance arrangement, the AIADMK will contest 169 of the 234 seats, while the BJP will contest 27 seats along with other allies.Tamil Nadu will go to single-phase polls on April 23 and counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. The main contest is expected to be between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the NDA, with actor-turned-politician Vijay also expected to join the fray.Why the move could be good for the BJPAnnamalai was freed from constituency level responsibilities, enabling him to campaign extensively in multiple districts. His role as a star activist has strengthened the BJP’s influence in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.This will also help the BJP push for a stable alliance with the AIADMK. His absence has reduced friction with Edappadi K Palaniswami and facilitated smoother alliance coordination.Annamalai is known for his ruthless criticism of the AIADMK and DMK. Subsequently, EPS pushed Annamalai out of state politics as a precondition for pre-poll alliance talks.The transition of leadership to Nainal Nagendran signals a more alliance-friendly and structured approach. It enables the party to have unity of command during elections and avoid internal conflicts.What could go against the BJPAnnamalai’s absence from the vote could dampen the morale of grassroots workers who regard him as a key leader. The BJP risks weakening its independent “third force” narrative in Tamil Nadu politics.His aggressive campaign style appeals to younger voters, but it may not be fully realized without a campaign. The move could leave voters confused about the direction of the party’s leadership in the state.This can be seen as the BJP giving space to the AIADMK in the alliance structure. The lack of strong faces as candidates may also affect electoral momentum at the local level.
