my-role-is-to-campaign-not-contest-annamalai-clarifies

Former BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai returned from Kerala on Saturday amid his poll campaign there to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating that he will not contest in the April 23 assembly elections.

 

Addressing reporters at the airport after arriving from Kannur, Annamalai said he was neither on the party’s list of probable candidates submitted for approval to the BJP high command nor on the final list released on Friday. “I am not in the race or list. In this election, my role is to campaign for the candidates across Tamil Nadu,” he clarified.

 

Annamalai explained that had he chosen, he could have contested from any constituency in the state, but his current focus is to actively campaign for BJP and NDA candidates. “The party has assigned me to campaign in Puducherry and Kerala till April 7, and thereafter across Tamil Nadu till April 23. This is the responsibility given to me by the party, and I will fulfil it,” he said.

 

The former TN chief confirmed that he had communicated his decision not to contest in writing to the state core committee, Tamil Nadu BJP election in-charge and Union Minister Piyush Goyal, as well as national general secretary B L Santosh and BJP president Nitin Nabin. “It is not that I was denied a ticket. I decided not to contest, and I am clarifying this as it has become a topic of discussion in the media,” he added.

 

Annamalai is expected to attend a closed-door meeting of senior BJP leaders from the state core committee on Saturday with the Prime Minister to discuss election strategy. The committee comprises about ten senior leaders.

 

Earlier, while campaigning in north Kerala, Annamalai had posted on X that he would “stand shoulder to shoulder and campaign for all our winning BJP and other NDA candidates, aiming for 210 seats in the upcoming assembly elections.”

 

On his meeting with PM Modi, he said, “It will be a general discussion during the election. I see it as an opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister.” Annamalai expressed gratitude to the party leadership for respecting his decision and giving him a platform to strengthen the NDA campaign.