Annamalai meets BJP president Nitin Nabin amid speculation over exit from party

NEW DELHI: Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai met party national president Nitin Nabin and general secretary BL Santosh in New Delhi on Tuesday.The meeting comes amid speculations that Annamalai is planning to leave the BJP and launch a new political party, though not immediately. According to sources, Annamalai has been having serious differences with the party leadership for several months.Also read | TOI Exclusive: Annamalai to quit BJP, launch new political partyOn Monday, when asked about the reports and speculation surrounding his next move, Annamalai said, "Please wait. We will sit down and talk in two days."The speculation has intensified ahead of Annamalai's birthday on June 4, with posters carrying slogans such as "Our Leader, Come and Lead Us" appearing along key roads and streets in the city.The political developments come in the backdrop of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which marked a major shift in the state's political landscape. TVK won 108 seats in its debut election, ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK formations.Following the victory, Vijay assumed office as the 13th chief minister of Tamil Nadu after securing the support of 120 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly. Governor Arlekar administered the oath of office to Vijay and his Cabinet, which includes ministers 'Bussy' N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KA Sengottaiyan, KG Arunraaj, P Venkataramanan, CTR Nirmal Kumar, A Rajmohan, Keerthana and KT Prabhu.A former IPS officer, Annamalai joined the BJP in 2020 and led the party's Tamil Nadu unit from 2021 to 2025. During this period, he became one of the BJP's prominent leaders in the state through extensive outreach campaigns and gained considerable support among young voters and on social media. Speculation surrounding his political future has grown since the 2026 Assembly elections.