Annamalai met with BJP national president Nitin Nabin and Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday, with sources confirming his departure from the party. According to reliable sources, the former Tamil Nadu BJP president intends to launch a new political party, though the timeline for this venture remains unspecified.

The decision comes after months of internal disagreements between Annamalai and the BJP leadership. A key point of contention centered on the party's strategy in Tamil Nadu, with Annamalai advocating for independent organizational development while the national leadership prioritized an alliance with AIADMK primarily to counter the DMK party.

A former IPS officer, Annamalai joined the BJP in 2020 and served as the party's Tamil Nadu president from 2021 to 2025, becoming one of the party's most prominent figures in the state through extensive campaigns and youth engagement. The political transition has been marked by increased activity from his supporters, with posters appearing across Coimbatore on Monday ahead of his birthday.

Speculation about his next move intensified following the 2026 assembly elections. His recent public criticism of the central government's decision to advance the three-language policy implementation for Class IX students further fueled discussions about his political future.