'Future of Tamil Nadu': Pawan Kalyan says Annamalai needed a 'little guidance' when he felt lonely

CHENNAI: Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Friday praised former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, describing him as a dynamic leader with strong ideological commitment and predicting a significant future for him in Tamil Nadu politics.


Speaking to TV channels, Pawan Kalyan said he respected Annamalai's decision to leave the BJP and choose his own path.



"He is a dynamic leader. I respect him and admire him. He's got a lot of ideological commitment. But, at that level, when you are handling a party, you feel lonely. Sometimes mentoring is needed. You know, Tamil Nadu has a very unique dynamics. Sometimes, you have to be there. It's okay to go through humiliation sometimes. I think he is the future of Tamil Nadu," Pawan Kalyan said.

Pawan Kalyan's remarks hold significance as the BJP accepted Annamalai's resignation from the party on Friday morning.

In a statement, the BJP said: "The national president of the BJP, Nitin Nabin, has accepted the resignation submitted by the Tamil Nadu ex-state president, K Annamalai, from the primary membership of the party."

The development comes three days after Annamalai visited New Delhi, where he met BJP president Nitin Nabin, party general secretary B L Santhosh and Union home minister Amit Shah.

The former IPS officer indicated that he would soon engage directly with the public.

In a post on X, Annamalai wrote: "Tomorrow at 12 noon, I eagerly look forward to interacting with you all on social media to share my thoughts and have an open, heart-to-heart conversation."

Speculation about Annamalai launching a new political party has intensified following the BJP's disappointing performance in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, where the party secured only around 3% of the vote while contesting 27 seats in alliance with the AIADMK.

Ahead of Annamalai's birthday, supporters put up posters across Coimbatore carrying slogans such as "Our Leader, Come and Lead Us."

Annamalai is credited with expanding the BJP's footprint in Tamil Nadu, helping raise the party's vote share from around 3% to 11% in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, the BJP failed to win a parliamentary seat, and he was replaced by Nainar Nagendran as the state BJP chief in 2025.

(With agency inputs)