I often felt restricted in BJP: Annamalai in an interview

Annamalai, in an interview after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party and launching his new movement, spoke about his political journey. He also discussed his long-term plans for Tamil Nadu politics.

Q: How will you sum up your political journey in the BJP?

A: I joined the BJP on August 25, 2020. It was a great journey. I remain a strong nationalist and believe in India’s unity, while also believing states should independently compete and grow. I had many responsibilities which helped me grow and evolve as a better human being. I will always be grateful to the BJP for giving me those opportunities.

Q: Why did you decide to quit the BJP?

A: For nearly one-and-a-half years, I was reflecting on the best way to serve people. I felt we were losing focus. In the BJP, I felt the pathway to leadership in Tamil Nadu was stuck for many people. There was a bit of divergence and vision mismatches. I believe a party should stand on its own legs, cultivate grassroots leaders and put Tamil Nadu first. I wanted younger leaders to emerge and felt the state unit needed a clearer long-term direction.

Q: What were the vision mismatches?

A: The first was decision-making. Tamil people feel decisions are made from Delhi. For the sake of Tamil Nadu, I do not think that is good politics. Secondly, I wanted Tamil Nadu to get the attention it deserves. Thirdly, each state individually should have strong regional grassroots leaders, so that India remains strong as a plural nation. I have no complaints against the BJP, but I often felt constrained. I now want to build a movement where social justice and pluralism are central.

Q: When did the idea for a new movement emerge?

A: My fellowship in Oxford in September, October and November 2024 gave me a lot of time to look at politics from an academic perspective. I spent time studying democracies across the world felt my time was up in a national policy framework. In December 2025, I discussed my thoughts with the party. They felt it was not the right time to take an independent decision. I respected that. But finally, on June 1, I went to Delhi. I said politely that I disagreed with their viewpoints. So, it is better for me to go and create something independent with a group of people.

Q: How did the BJP leadership react?

A: I continue to respect Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders. I had long discussions with the leadership. I said, when I want to walk out, I want to walk out with dignity. I will not write an email or issue a statement from Tamil Nadu. So, my resignation has to be accepted. And that is why the party has also accepted my resignation. Then I walked out. Of course, they tried to persuade me to stay, but I argued my case.

Q: Did Vijay’s rise influence your decision?

A: No. I have always supported new people entering politics. Sometimes you need a cult or a cinema star with a very strong cinematic sense to break certain things that were holding politics back — money power, caste equations. I am very happy that Vijay’s TVK has broken that. Charisma, however, can only take politics so far. Tamil Nadu needs governance-centric, evidence-based leaders coming forward, getting elected, standing before people and taking politics to the next level.

Q: Were you unhappy in the BJP?

A: My position was clear from 2022. I believed the BJP should grow independently in Tamil Nadu and maintain its own identity. I never supported the AIADMK coming into the NDA for the 2026 assembly election. Then the party, which wanted me to contest, could not find me a seat. I obeyed the party as a karyakarta, but over time I felt strategic mistakes accumulated. Tamil Nadu politics, in my view, cannot be driven by decisions taken far away from the state.

Q: What helped Vijay win the election?

A: Anti-incumbency against the DMK government was so strong, which was one of the reasons for Vijay’s victory. The groundwork against the DMK government had already been laid. I expected Vijay to do well, though I did not expect such a large vote share. The Kongu region gave him a major late surge that proved decisive.

Q: Why did the DMK lose?

A: The DMK government was very corrupt. It was perceived to be corrupt and felt to be corrupt.

Q: How do you assess the TVK government so far?

A: Give Vijay one year. He is new to governance and deserves time to establish himself. We can offer constructive criticism and guidance, but he should be allowed the space to govern.

Q: What about the horse-trading allegations, and why did the AIADMK lose?

A: The moment you see power, you forsake all principles. It shows just how rotten the roots of Tamil Nadu politics truly are. People who campaigned against Vijay suddenly joined him after the election. Such developments hurt democratic culture and force unnecessary by-elections. As for the AIADMK, the writing is on the wall. Leaders have to adapt, change according to circumstances, be more flexible, and possess a proper spirit of friendship, cooperation and alliance. The voter profile has changed. Young voters think differently. Politics has changed, and political parties have to change, otherwise they are doomed.

Q: In a letter to the BJP national president, you said you wanted to bring about a positive change to Tamil Nadu. What kind of politics do you want to build through ‘We, the Leaders’?

A: I want politics that is evidence-based, governance-focused and positive. We will have term limits, age limits and post limits. Politics should not revolve around one leader for decades. It should be a movement that continuously renews itself with younger leaders and fresh ideas. Politics should be a free flow of ideas and a movement. Like our old Tamil saying, ‘Pazhaiyana Kazhithalum, Puthiyana Puguthalum’, the old order changes, yielding place to the new. Annamalai right now is one thing, but 20 years from now Annamalai will be stale.

Q: You said national parties do not speak the language of Tamil Nadu. Does that include the BJP?

A: Yes, 100 per cent. National parties do not speak the language of Tamil Nadu. That is my very genuine criticism of all parties, including the BJP. Language is not merely a matter of translation. It is culture, social fabric and understanding how a state functions.

Q: What will your relationship with the BJP leadership be like going forward?

A: This is an independent organisation. We will support India’s foreign policy and national security interests irrespective of who is in power. Relationships with Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will continue to remain civilised, but it will not be a friendly relationship.

Q: Some people say the RSS or the BJP are behind your move.

A: I disagree. By leaving the BJP, I had more to lose than gain. My future actions and the conduct of this movement will be the best answer to such speculation.

Q: When will ‘We, the Leaders’ become a political party? Will it contest the upcoming by-elections?

A: By-elections are not our game. That is for somebody doing murky dealings. For a movement to become a political party, there is a process involved. We currently have nearly 19 lakh members. Once we reach 50 lakh members, we can begin a political conversation. We want to launch the Abdul Kalam fellowship for young political leaders to groom them and guide them for a year. We want to take care of their expenses and give them the financial freedom to go to the grassroots and experience the joy of service.

Q: Is your ultimate goal to become chief minister?

A: I do not think politics should revolve around one person. If there is somebody better suited for a role, that person should take it. If you remember the seven cardinal sins Mahatma Gandhi mentioned — politics without principle, wealth without work, and so on. We want to bring a change to this culture. Probably, people will like it and give us an opportunity when the 2031 election, or whenever it happens, comes around.

Q: Will you align with another party?

A: As of now, I do not see us merging with anybody, mingling with anybody, making deals or entering an alliance. It is a difficult path, but we want to offer a genuinely fresh political alternative.

Q: Who is your political enemy?

A: A bad political culture is our enemy. We want politics centred on ordinary people and democratic values.

Q: Do you see yourself aligning with Vijay in the future?

A: We are against any degrading political culture. We are very different from the TVK, and we are very different from Vijay’s model of politics.

Q: What role did you play in bringing TTV Dhinakaran and O Panneerselvam into the NDA fold?

A: I am one person who continuously pushed for Dhinakaran and Panneerselvam to be a part of an extended NDA. Dhinakaran is a person with whom I share a valuable friendship. It is unfortunate what happened to OPS. That will always haunt me; it was one of the saddest days of my life. I made my misgivings very clear to the party when OPS joined the DMK.

Q: Would a BJP-AIADMK-TVK alliance have worked?

A: If a BJP-AIADMK-TVK alliance had happened, I would say the DMK would have come back to power. This election showed that people saw chemistry rather than arithmetic.

Q: Vanathi Srinivasan recently described you as an ‘experiment’ for the BJP. So, how did the experiment work for the party?

A: That is for the BJP to say. I can very proudly say Annamalai was always Annamalai within the BJP. I remained a strong nationalist and someone committed to making Tamil Nadu number one.

Q: The BJP invested heavily in you. Do you have any regrets about leaving?

A: No regrets. I gave my best to the BJP and the BJP gave me opportunities. I think it is a fair compromise where the party gave me an opportunity and I also did my best as a karyakarta.

Q: Are you Indian first or Tamilian first?

A: I am an Indian first, always. But I am proud to be a Tamilian. I have lived and worked across India and have always put my Indian identity first. At the same time, I want Tamil Nadu to become the best-performing state in the country.

Q: Where do you see yourself one year from now?

A: I honestly do not know. What matters is that people should see ‘We, the Leaders’ as a movement building a healthy political culture and laying the foundation for a better future for Tamil Nadu.

Also read: Annamalai quits BJP to fight ‘cult politics’