Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 4 : Following his exclusion from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate list for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, former state BJP president K Annamalai on Saturday clarified that he "wasn't denied a ticket, but he chose not to contest."
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.
This clarification comes amid speculation that Annamalai did not get a BJP ticket in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections due to the party's alliance with the AIADMK.
Known as "Singham" for his prior service as an IPS officer in Karnataka, Annamalai 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.
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.
The BJP released its first list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Friday after negotiations within the NDA alliance.
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, the aggressive "Singham" of the Tamil Nadu BJP who was widely expected to lead the charge, is conspicuously 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 is nowhere to be found.
The AIADMK, which leads the NDA bloc, will contest 169 of the 234 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (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 will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, covering a total of 234 constituencies in the State. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
The main electoral contest in the State is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), and the NDA led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). However, actor-turned-politician Vijay will look to turn it into a three-way contest.
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