New Delhi, June 5- Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai, a former Karnataka cadre IPS officer, quit the BJP with BJP National President Nitin Nabin accepting his resignation from the primary membership of the party this morning.
Annamalai, who met Nitin Nabin and BJP organisational Secretary B.L. Santosh on Tuesday (June 2) in New Delhi, tendered his resignation from the BJP.
He later met Union Home Minister Amit Shah the following day, when he is said to have told Shah that he would part ways with the BJP cordially, when the party leadership asked him to reconsider his decision and stay put in the party.
However, Annamalai, who was determined to leave the party and form his own front, insisted on acceptance of his resignation. Now with Nabin accepting his resignation, Annamalai’s 6-year old association with the National party has ended.
Kuppusamy Annamalai, a Karnataka cadre IPS officer who had served in several districts of the State during his stint in the Police Department, shot into fame after he quit IPS and joined BJP in 2020.
The following year, he was made the Tamil Nadu BJP State President and served in the post till 2025, when he was replaced by Nainar Nagenthran.
Annamalai, who is referred to as ‘Singham’ by his supporters, was deeply upset when BJP decided last year to align with AIADMK, which alliance he opposed all along.
Annamalai is said to have been removed as TN State BJP chief in 2025 at the insistence of AIADMK President Edappadi Palaniswamy as Annamalai had strongly advocated that the BJP should contest the 2026 TN Assembly Polls independently and not enter into any alliance.
In the just concluded Assembly polls, BJP fared badly, winning just a single seat in the 234- member Tamil Nadu Assembly, in alliance with the AIADMK.
This post was published on June 5, 2026 7:30 pm