BENGALURU: Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai is likely to be elevated to the post of BJP general secretary soon.
“The announcement will be made after the selection of the party president next month,” sources privy to the development told TNIE on condition of anonymity.
When asked, the 40-year-old former IPS officer of Karnataka cadre refused to comment.
“When he (Annamalai) stepped down from the post of Tamil Nadu party president in April this year to facilitate the BJP-AIADMK alliance, he was assured that he will be given a national role in the party. He was succeeded by MLA Nainar Nagenthran as Tamil Nadu’s BJP chief. Though BJP drew a blank in Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Parliament election, the credit for increasing the party’s vote-share from 3% in the previous general election to 11% without having any alliance with either the DMK or the AIADMK goes to him, and this has not gone unnoticed,” sources said.
Union Minister Amit Shah, on several occasions, had made it amply clear that Annamalai will play an important role in state politics and will also be given responsibilities at the national level.
Annamalai was appointed as the member of the party’s national council a day after his resignation as state chief. Tamil Nadu BJP vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy recently gave broad indications on the same when he said that national office-bearers would be appointed after the election of national president, and that the party “believes that Annamalai is worthy of it.”
Annamalai keeping low profile as BJP karyakarta
Annamalai has of late been keeping a low profile except for his recent outburst against AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, when the latter stated that AIADMK will secure absolute majority and form the government after the 2026 Assembly poll.
“Annamalai has been rather quiet and has told media persons that he will speak from August onwards. He portrays himself as BJP karyakarta and has restricted himself to meetings in his stronghold of western TN after he stepped down as party president. He does not skip even the smallest party-related gathering,” said sources. The 40-year-old hails from Gounder community, a dominant OBC group.