Tamil Nadu: K. Annamalai on Saturday clarified that his decision not to contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections was voluntary and had been communicated to the party leadership in advance.
Addressing the media in Chennai, the former Tamil Nadu BJP president stated that he had formally informed the party’s core committee in writing about his decision. “I had already conveyed that I would not be contesting from any constituency. It is not a case of being denied a ticket; this was my own decision,” he said.
Annamalai noted that he was issuing the clarification in light of ongoing speculation in the media. He also expressed gratitude to the party leadership for respecting his stance and entrusting him with a broader organisational role.
“I am thankful to the leadership for giving me the opportunity to campaign extensively for the NDA alliance candidates,” he said, adding that he would actively work to strengthen the alliance’s prospects across the state.
The clarification comes shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party released its list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The list was unveiled by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who also confirmed that Annamalai had chosen to focus on statewide campaigning rather than contesting from a single constituency.
“Annamalai is a committed party worker who has opted to contribute across Tamil Nadu instead of contesting one seat,” Goyal said, noting that candidate selection was based on inputs from the state unit and individual preferences.
Following the announcement, Annamalai reiterated his commitment on social media, stating that he would campaign for all NDA candidates with the goal of securing a decisive mandate.
Annamalai had led the BJP’s campaign in Tamil Nadu during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the party failed to secure any seats. He also faced defeat in Coimbatore by a margin exceeding one lakh votes. Subsequently, Nainar Nagendran assumed charge as the state party president.
Tamil Nadu is scheduled to go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting of votes set for May 4.
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