Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai on Sunday properly addressed his exit from the BJP for the first time at the first rally of his new political movement, We The People Foundation (WTPF).
Speaking to a large crowd at Achipatti, near Pollachi in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district, the former IPS officer offered important insights into his exit from the saffron party, and his plans to contest the Assembly elections in 2031.
"Was I angry with the BJP? Yes, I was. But I had to show it with a sense of responsibility," he said at the event, pointing out that in the 38 days since WTPF came into force on June 5, he had never spoken against the saffron party.
He also pointed out how the movement had amassed about 19 lakh followers over this period, of which 17 per cent were women, as per local media reports.
He revealed that the DMK had criticised his move to break away from the party to adopt the localised, people-centric strategy that has been integral to the Dravidian majors, which had led to the label of being the BJP's 'B-team'.
"We have another path. We will go there and do good for the people. That's all!" Annamalai said at the event, also reaffirming his ties to Hinduism, and attempting to separate religion and politics.
Indeed, Annamalai's movement has been seen as an attempt to balance his nationalist stance—characterised by a respect for PM Narendra Modi—with an intensified support for longstanding local issues, such as water rights and language policy, which he would not be able to take on from within the saffron party.
The former BJP leader also expressed support for the ruling TVK government, saying that the WTPF was not "power-hungry", and was interested in helping the state government resolve issues like the growing debt by means of "healthy politics".
However, he was also quick to point out that the very same change of tide—led by the Gen Z—that propelled the C. Joseph Vijay-led TVK to a surprise win in the 2026 Assembly elections, would happen again in 2031.
6 resolutions made at the rally
The rally, organised as part of the WTPF's Drug-Free Tamil Nadu campaign, saw six resolutions made towards pushing Tamil Nadu to the forefront of drug eradication efforts in India.
The resolutions were focused on stopping the use of drugs, keeping alcohol vendors in check, and improving drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres.
