Chennai: After a break of three months, the return of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president K. Annamalai from London has revitalised the BJP state unit as he now positions himself as a contender against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam second-in-command Udhayanidhi Stalin and actor-turned-politician Vijay before the 2026 assembly elections.
Annamalai, who returned on 1 December after spending three months in London on a Chevening fellowship, has since attended back-to-back private and BJP events in Chennai and Coimbatore and made field visits to the areas affected by floods after cyclone Fengal.
He has already made pointed remarks against Udhayanidhi Stalin and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader Vijay on at least three occasions.
While Annamalai termed Udhayanidhi Stalin as a failed actor who has come to politics, he mocked the ideology of Vijay’s party as a khichdi of ideologies of various parties. “Can one mix rasam, curd and sambar rice and call it a new dish? Such politics have never won anywhere in the world,” he said about Vijay at an in-door conclave in Coimbatore Sunday.
However, in stark contrast to his approach before his UK trip, he has not criticised the primary opposition party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, even once so far.
Although the BJP leader has been against an electoral alliance with the AIADMK, political commentators in the state said the change in approach towards the opposition party might be a ploy to woo the AIADMK voters towards the BJP.
“The BJP can increase its vote share only through the AIADMK voters. It cannot get the votes of the DMK supporters and loyalists. So, if not for the alliance, it is a tactic to attract AIADMK voters towards the BJP,” political commentator Sathiya Moorthy pointed out.
Soon after Annamalai left for studies abroad, BJP president J.P. Nadda appointed a six-member committee to lead the party in the state in his absence—headed by national executive committee member H. Raja.
Taking back charge after his return, Annamalai said at a meeting at the BJP headquarters in Chennai that the 2026 assembly election will be a do-or-die battle for his party.
“In the last three months, our party functionaries have been keen on adding new members …. Now, we have very little time for the election. And it is going to be a do-or-die election for us. People in the state are expecting a chance. Hence, we have to work fast on the ground,” he said.
Stating that party workers are enthusiastic after the return of their leader, BJP IT wing and social media convener Karthik Gopinath said Annamalai’s words convey a sense of seriousness to the cadre.
“His return has energised us. You can see him work on the ground from Day 1. He has been raising the voices of the people. We are working with him to prepare the ground for the 2026 assembly election,” Gopinath said.
Soon after the 2021 assembly election, the BJP, in a bid to gear up the party for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, appointed K. Annamalai as the president of its Tamil Nadu unit. Annamalai first wanted the ties between the BJP and the AIADMK severed, with the two parties ending their alliance officially in September 2023.
Then, the BJP entered an alliance with Anbumani Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi and late actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth-founded Dravida Murpokku Munnetra Kazhagam and contested 40 Lok Sabha seats.
Though the party and National Democratic Alliance could not win a single seat, the vote share of the BJP increased substantially. Directly contesting 23 seats, the BJP secured 11.1% of votes in the 2024 LS polls. Its vote share was just 3.6% in the 2019 LS polls.
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Annamalai’s re-entry & change in approach
The approach of Annamalai has changed mainly due to the changes in the political climate in Tamil Nadu over the last three months.
While Udhayanidhi Stalin became Deputy Chief Minister on 28 September, Vijay held his first conference at Vikravandi in Villupuram district on 27 October.
“All these things happened when our leader was not in the state. Even though other party leaders reacted at the time, he is the one who is going to lead the party in the 2026 assembly election. So, it is important for him to position himself that way,” a BJP functionary close to Annamalai told ThePrint.
However, political commentator T. Sigamani said the competition in the 2026 assembly election will be between rising leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, Annamalai, Vijay, and Naam Thamizhar party coordinator Seeman.
“By positioning himself as the rival of Udhayanidhi and Vijay, Annamalai is making it clear who his foes and friends are. With this, he has also scored his first point. More than real numbers, a leader positioned as an opponent creates the image that the leader is fighting the election,” said Sathiyamoorthy, a political commentator. “Although he does not need an alliance with the AIADMK, he needs the AIADMK votes.”
Another political commentator, Priyan, said the party leadership might have instructed Annamalai to refrain from criticising the AIADMK, which the BJP might be seeing as a potential ally.
“Since the party’s internal elections are on, Annamalai might have been signalled not to antagonise the AIADMK. But, there is no serious threat to the BJP for it to look at the 2026 election as a do-or-die one. The party performed decently in the last election. Annamalai could have been trying to inspire the cadre to work enthusiastically for the 2026 election,” Priyan said.
H. Raja, who had been leading the party in TN till recently, told ThePrint that no electoral alliance was on the cards and that the national president takes the final call on such an alliance.
“Even when I was heading the committee, we reacted and criticised Vijay and Udhayanidhi. There was not any necessity to criticise AIADMK because it is also an opposition party in the state,” he said.
On 5 December, on the death anniversary of AIADMK matriarch J. Jayalalithaa, Annamalai posted a picture of her on social media platform X, stating that her name will remain forever because of the welfare schemes she implemented for the people and society.
However, a BJP spokesperson who did not want to be named said it was common for party leaders to remember ex-Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
“We have always been on good terms with the former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. Even our Prime Minister was a good friend of hers, and several people in our party, including MLA Nainar Nagenthiran, worked with Jayalalithaa in the AIADMK party. They, too, have shared remembrance posts on her death anniversary. The staunch AIADMK supporters believe that the BJP will be able to defeat the DMK,” the spokesperson said.
ThePrint also reached Annamalai, but he was not available for comments.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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