TN BJP Chief Annamalai To Take Break From Politics, To Pursue UK Leadership Fellowship

K Annamalai, Tamil Nadu BJP chief, will take a hiatus from active politics to join the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship in London, aimed at leadership and excellence.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai plans to take a three-month hiatus from active politics to participate in a prestigious leadership fellowship in London.

The Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence programme, offered by the UK's Foreign Office, has accepted Annamalai's application. The fellowship is set to commence in mid-September and last until December, according to a report in Deccan Herald.

Annamalai, a former Karnataka-cadre IPS officer, has reportedly informed the BJP high command of his intentions.

Annamalai joined the BJP in August 2020, and his rise within the party has been swift. As the state unit chief, he was given considerable autonomy in managing the party and quickly became a polarising figure in Tamil Nadu due to his outspoken nature and confrontational attitude.

Despite being ridiculed for his ambitious claims of the BJP securing a 20 per cent vote share in the 2024 elections, Annamalai brought attention to the party through continuous engagement.

Sources revealed that Annamalai applied for the fellowship earlier this year and attended an interview in Delhi in May. He submitted his application as the founder of 'We The Leaders' foundation, an NGO he established in 2019 after voluntarily retiring from the Indian Police Service. However, it remains unclear whether the BJP has approved Annamalai's request for leave. If granted, the party must decide if he will continue as state chief with an acting president or be replaced entirely.

However, Annamalai lost to DMK's rival Ganapathy Rajkumar in the Lok Sabha elections. Nonetheless, the saffron party's vote percentage from 3+ per cent to 11+ per cent under his leadership.