NEW DELHI: Annamalai Kuppusamy (Okay Annamalai), who not so way back was the BJP’s greatest face, and likewise its greatest hope in Tamil Nadu, has give up the occasion. The former IPS officer, who joined the BJP in 2020 and made the occasion seen in the state like by no means earlier than, is all set to kind his personal “regional outfit” as he feels that being half of a nationwide occasion “limits his progress.”Annamalai is in Delhi and, in keeping with studies, has thanked all his occasion bosses together with Amit Shah whereas submitting his resignation, although a proper announcement is but to be made. Some in the BJP stay hopeful of a U-flip, however sources near Annamalai declare that the previous IPS officer has moved on and desires to place his “personal plans into motion.”Annamalai has additionally submitted an in depth report analysing what went incorrect for the BJP in the 2026 elections and has reportedly informed the BJP prime brass how he was “sidelined” in the occasion. Whereas the formal parting of methods is going on now, the bottom for this separation was laid in the run as much as the 2026 meeting elections when BJP deserted Annamalai’s imaginative and prescient for the occasion in Tamil Nadu.So, what went incorrect?To grasp this, let’s rewind and have a look at Annamalai’s spectacular rise in the BJP.The BJP, which had for years struggled to seek out its house and relevance in Tamil Nadu politics, noticed a ray of hope in Annamalai. The former IPS officer who had give up his job in Might 2019 and was working for social welfare via his NGO “We the Chief Basis” wished to enter politics to “deliver a change in the system.” Curiously, BJP was not the primary selection of Annamalai as he wished to start out his political innings with Rajinikanth. However when the famous person’s political plans failed, Annamalai opted for BJP – a celebration he mentioned “had nationalist imaginative and prescient and a benefit-primarily based platform.”Annamalai joined the BJP in 2020. Although he misplaced the 2021 meeting election from Aravakuruchi constituency, he helped the BJP win 2 seats in the state’s western area.The BJP was fast to understand Annamalai’s potential and inside a 12 months made him the state occasion chief. As soon as firmly in the saddle, Annamalai led his ‘En Mann En Makkal’ (My Land, My Folks) padayatra throughout Tamil Nadu in 2023 taking BJP’s recognition to a brand new excessive. Such was the optimism and hope using on this train that it was graced by BJP’s prime nationwide management. Whereas Amit Shah inaugurated the 200-day padayatra that lined all 234 meeting constituencies in the state, Prime Minister Narenadra Modi ended it with an enormous public tackle in February 2024.The hype and hope raised by Annamalai’s padayatra maybe satisfied the BJP to half methods with its ally the AIADMK and go for a solo contest in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. The spotlight of Annamalai’s political aggression was his sharp and vocal criticism of Dravidian politics and its icons. Regardless of an alliance with AIADMK, he didn’t spare even their leaders – an element that performed a key function in the eventual break-up between the allies. Annamalai’s padayatra propelled the BJP’s vote share in Tamil Nadu to a document excessive of 11.38% in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This was an enormous bounce from the three.62% determine that the occasion had managed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However sadly, the rise in votes didn’t translate into seats and the BJP couldn’t open its account for a second consecutive LS election. Within the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had received 1 seat with a vote share of 5.56%.This presumably led the BJP to rethink about its ties with the AIADMK and regardless of Annamalai’s very robust objections – the alliance was revived in the run as much as the 2026 meeting elections in the state. And that marked the sidelining of the previous IPS officer who was subsequently eased out from the state BJP chief submit to placate the occasion’s Dravidian ally.The 2026 meeting elections noticed the AIADMK dictate phrases to the BJP. The regional occasion ensured that Annamalai was not simply eliminated as state BJP chief but in addition had no say in deciding the candidates for the meeting contest. Annamalai stayed away and didn’t contest the 2026 meeting elections. Annamalai’s full dominance of 2023 had changed into close to full isolation in 2026. Nevertheless, on Might 4, when the outcomes have been introduced, Annamalai was vindicated and the BJP’s alliance experiment with AIADMK failed miserably. The saffron occasion ended up profitable only one seat in the meeting. However the former state chief nonetheless saved quiet.Annamalai’s first voice of dissentWhen Annamalai, for the primary time in six years, brazenly focused the Union schooling ministry over its notification making three languages obligatory for sophistication IX college students, it was the primary seen signal of an impending revolt and led to speculations about his attainable exit from the occasion.On Might 15, the CBSE issued a notification to all affiliated faculties introducing a 3rd obligatory language for sophistication IX college students from the present tutorial 12 months, advancing a deadline that was beforehand set for 2029-30.Responding to this transfer, Annamalai wrote on X: “This has come as a shock to many dad and mom, particularly these from Tamil Nadu, as their kids have already chosen a language of selection in class VI. The revised notification now mandates that class IX college students be taught three languages, two of which have to be native to India, with impact from July 1, 2026. Anticipating a category IX pupil to be taught a brand new language at such quick discover will solely pressurise kids and have an effect on their total studying outcomes.“The proven fact that he selected to go public together with his variations with the BJP on the language coverage, which has at all times been a delicate difficulty in Tamil Nadu, was a sign that he wished to chart his personal course.Whereas Annamalai might not have brazenly rebelled, his resignation transfer doesn’t come as a shock. In spite of everything, his efforts to make sure a separate id for the BJP in Tamil Nadu was washed away when the Delhi management pushed for the AIADMK alliance in the 2026 meeting elections.An experiment aborted too quickly?For the BJP, Annamalai’s exit would imply beginning from scratch in Tamil Nadu. Whereas Annamalai was not heading the state BJP in both of the 2 meeting elections overlapping together with his tenure, his lively presence had energised the occasion. Annamalai was made BJP Tamil Nadu chief after the 2021 meeting elections in which the BJP had received 4 seats with a vote share of 2.62%. He give up as state chief in 2025, a 12 months earlier than the 2026 meeting elections, in which the occasion’s tally slipped to 1 with a marginal enhance in vote share at 2.99%. The BJP could be cautious of the attainable exodus of native leaders and likewise cadres from the occasion with the exit of Annamalai.The truth that individuals of Tamil Nadu voted overwhelmingly for debutant politician Vijay and his occasion TVK reveals that there was house for a brand new experiment in Tamil Nadu. The BJP did embark on that path with Annamalai however deserted it halfway. Whereas Annamalai doesn’t come anyplace near Vijay’s fan following in the state, the actual fact is that the previous IPS officer who was sometimes called “Singham” did take pleasure in respectable recognition amongst the youth of the state. Little marvel, the “what if” query would proceed to hang-out each the BJP and Annamalai.However for the BJP – it was maybe Hobson’s selection – going forward with its Annamalai experiment or holding the palms of its outdated ally, the AIADMK to weave an anti-DMK entrance. Ultimately it opted for its outdated ally, leaving Annamalai with little possibility however to name it quits. Satirically, the very aggression that made him widespread with and inside the BJP turned the explanation for his exit from the occasion.
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