Annamalai to step down as Tamil Nadu BJP chief?

K Annamalai might resign as the Tamil Nadu president of the Bharatiya Janata Party due to discussions about a potential BJP-AIADMK coalition for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

The choice is being influenced by caste dynamics in the election-focused state where the BJP has been seeking to expand its presence, according to a report. Annamalai is regarded as a key factor in the split between the AIADMK and BJP in 2023.

The report indicated that the BJP prefers not to have representatives from both allied partners belonging to the same Gounder community. Annamalai and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader Edappadi K Palaniswami are both part of the influential backward community. Both originate from the same western Kongu area of Tamil Nadu, where Gounders hold dominance.

According to sources, Annamalai was informed of the BJP’s decision during a meeting he held with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The meeting took place shortly after Shah met Palaniswami in the national capital.