Annamalai left out of BJP’s candidate list for Tamil Nadu polls, party cites High Command decision
Chennai/New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has released its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, triggering political discussion after the absence of former state president K Annamalai from the roster.
Despite being widely seen as the party’s most prominent face in the state and a key figure in its southern expansion strategy, Annamalai was not fielded in the list. Senior leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North, and Union Minister L. Murugan from Avinashi, have been nominated.
Responding to questions on the omission, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said the decision was taken by the party’s central leadership. He expressed confidence that all 27 candidates would emerge victorious in the polls.
Annamalai, a former IPS officer who joined the BJP in 2020 and rapidly rose to prominence, had earlier been replaced as state chief by Nagendran. Known for his aggressive political style and grassroots outreach, he has been instrumental in amplifying the party’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by Dravidian parties.
In a message posted on X, Annamalai congratulated the candidates and reaffirmed his commitment to the party. He said he would campaign actively for BJP and NDA nominees, expressing confidence in the alliance securing a decisive mandate. He also criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, calling it ineffective and self-serving.
The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Seat-sharing arrangements allocate 169 constituencies to the AIADMK, 27 to the BJP, 18 to the Pattali Makkal Katchi, 11 to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, five to the Tamil Maanila Congress, and one seat each to the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi and Puratchi Bharatham.
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23 across all 234 constituencies, with counting scheduled for May 4. The primary contest is expected between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, although actor-turned-politician Vijay is also positioning himself as a potential challenger, raising the possibility of a multi-cornered contest.
#WATCH | Chennai | Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran says, "A list of 27 candidates has been released by the BJP High Command... All the 27 candidates will surely win this time..."
— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2026
On Annamalai's name not appearing in the recently released list, he says, "This is a… https://t.co/pDd0HodSAW pic.twitter.com/29gkGK9AaP
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BJP blaming Iran-Israel war for everything, says Akhilesh; questions foreign policy
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday alleged that the BJP was blaming the Iran-Israel conflict for a range of domestic issues and said such claims were an attempt to hide policy failures.
Responding to a question on the impact of the West Asia situation on industries in Kanpur during a press conference here, Yadav said that the responsibility for the condition of industries lies with the BJP government.
"These people may now even say that the Ganga is not getting cleaned because of the war in West Asia," the former UP chief minister remarked.
He said the government was diverting attention from farmers' issues and bringing up unrelated matters.
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Referring to fertiliser shortages, he said that farmers had to stand in long queues and fertilisers were not available even earlier, and "now such shortages could be attributed to the Iran-Israel conflict".
He added that this was a failure of government policy and accused the BJP of shifting blame.
Yadav also said that potato farmers were not getting fair prices and alleged that the government might attribute this as well to the ongoing conflict.
On a question related to foreign policy and India's ties with the United States, Yadav said he would not like to comment in detail as his knowledge on the subject was limited, but noted that the influence of the US was visible in many areas.
"If one studies past speeches of leaders, including those from the opposition, after Independence, it would be clear what kind of foreign policy India should have pursued and how it has evolved over time," the leader of the third largest party in Lok Sabha noted.
Yadav also referred to discussions around foreign funding to NGOs and their possible influence on policies, but said these were "contentious issues" on which he would not like to comment further at present.
"Our immediate focus is on ensuring respect for PDA (Backward classes, Dalits and minorities), establishing the rule of social justice and removing the corrupt BJP from government," he said.
On a question related to claims about late night voting during polls in Andhra Pradesh in 2024 coming to light now, Yadav said that concerns had been raised about voting continuing late into the night in some instances.
"Our stance is clear on this matter. In several progressive and developed countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan and England, voting is done through ballots despite their advanced technological capabilities.
"In Germany, the use of electronic voting machines has even been considered unconstitutional," he said, and questioned the continued reliance on EVMs and VVPAT systems in India.
Yadav reiterated his party's stand in favour of returning to ballot voting, saying it would at least allow poorer voters to visibly express their choice.
"The poor cannot vent out their anguish against the government by just pressing the button of the EVM. Using the ballot stamp, they can properly vent out their anger," he said in a lighter vein.
On a separate question regarding student politics and demands for the revival of student unions in universities, Yadav said that if the Samajwadi Party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, it would send delegations of students from universities in the state to reputed global institutions such as the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
"These delegations would observe student union systems and share their experiences, and students from those institutions would also be invited to Lucknow for conferences to exchange ideas," he added.
