Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Saturday clarified that he “wasn’t denied a ticket, but he chose not to contest” in the upcoming state polls. This comes a day after he was omitted from the BJP’s candidate list for the Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, reportedly, this clarification comes amid speculation that Annamalai did not get a ticket due to the party’s alliance with the AIADMK.
According to news agency ANI, briefing reporters at Chennai airport, Annamalai expressed gratitude to the party high command for respecting his decision, adding that he had already submitted a written communication stating that he would not contest from any constituency but would instead campaign for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
“Yesterday, Prime Minister Modi visited Chennai. After completing his campaign in Puducherry, he is scheduled to meet party functionaries today. Following that, he will travel to Kochi to campaign in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance candidates. I had already informed the core committee in writing that I would not be contesting in any constituency. Therefore, it is not that I was denied a ticket the truth is that I chose not to contest the election,” Annamalai said.
“Since this has become a topic of discussion in the media, I am clarifying it here. When I did not express any interest in contesting, how could the leadership allocate me a ticket? If I had decided to contest, it wouldn’t have mattered which constituency I could have contested from anywhere. I am grateful to the BJP leadership for respecting my decision and giving me the opportunity to campaign in support of the NDA alliance candidates,” he further added.
Annamalai is known as “Singham” for his prior service as an IPS officer in Karnataka. He became a prominent face in the BJP after he was made Tamil Nadu state president in 2021. He worked to strengthen the party and led initiatives like the “En Mann, En Makkal” yatra ahead of the 2024 elections.
Tamil Nadu politics
The BJP and AIADMK had earlier split over remarks made by Annamalai on CN Annadurai.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP contested alone, increased its vote share to 11 per cent, but did not secure any seats.
Following this, Annamalai stepped down as state president and was succeeded by Nainar Nagendran. The AIADMK and BJP renewed their alliance in 2025.
BJP’s candidate list 2026
The saffron party released its first list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu elections on Friday.
The release of the BJP’s first candidate list for the April 23, 2026, Tamil Nadu Assembly elections had sent shockwaves through the state’s political circles. K Annamalai, who was widely expected to lead the charge, was absent from the roster.
While senior leaders like Tamilisai Soundararajan (Mylapore), Vanathi Srinivasan (Coimbatore North), and Union Minister L Murugan (Avinashi) have been fielded, Annamalai’s name was nowhere to be found.
BJP-AIADMK alliance
The AIADMK, which leads the NDA bloc, will contest 169 of the 234 seats, while the BJP will contest 27 seats, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) 18, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) 11, Tamil Maanila Congress five, Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) one, and Puratchi Bharatham one seat.
Tamil Nadu election 2026
The main electoral contest in Tamil Nadu is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and the NDA led by AIADMK. However, actor-turned-politician Vijay will look to turn it into a three-way contest.
The state will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, covering a total of 234 constituencies. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
(with ANI inputs)
Also read- BJP candidate list 2026: Party releases first list for Tamil Nadu election; Annamalai omitted
