K. Annamalai to say no to Singanallur seat? Tamil Nadu BJP leader unlikely to contest assembly polls: Report

Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai may decide not to contest the 2026 Assembly elections, a report said.

The police officer-turned-politician has reportedly written to the party leadership expressing his lack of interest in contesting the upcoming polls. Citing senior BJP leaders, a Tamil daily claimed that the former state unit chief is likely to be occupied with extensive campaign responsibilities. There is no rift with the party, as Annamalai's decision to back out has nothing to do with his loyalty to the saffron party, the report added; he is happy to serve as a party worker.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran wants to contest from Tirunelveli, while Annamalai and Vanathi Srinivasan were to be pitted from Singanallur and Coimbatore North respectively, Daily Thanthi said in a report. Notably, Annamalai contested from Aravakurichi in the Karur district in the 2021 Assembly elections and from Coimbatore in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. R. Elango of the DMK beat him by a margin of 24,816 votes in 2021.

It was decided that the BJP will contest 27 seats in the AIADMK-led NDA alliance in the southern state. Annamalai has not been a fan of the poll agreement with the Dravidian major. There were earlier reports that Annamalai has been feeling sidelined ever since Nainar Nagendran replaced him as the state president.

Annamalai was expected to campaign for the NDA alliance across the state. However, if his equation with Palaniswami does not run smoothly and if the present BJP leadership does not encourage him, he might stop at just campaigning for the AMMK candidates.

During a press conference earlier this year, he was asked if he would contest the elections. He responded: "I will first talk to the leadership before taking a decision