Annamalai Sets Condition; Delhi Taken Aback; Expectations Rise in Coimbatore North Constituency

Assembly elections 2026 have been announced for states including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam. Voting in Tamil Nadu is scheduled to take place on April 23. With seat-sharing, promises, candidate lists, and campaigning underway, the political field has begun to heat up. In this context, information has emerged that the BJP leadership is firm that Annamalai must contest in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Voting in Tamil Nadu is scheduled to take place on April 23. With seat-sharing, promises, candidate lists, and campaigning underway, the political field has begun to heat up. After being relieved from the post of BJP state president, it was expected that Annamalai would be given a Union ministerial role or a significant national-level position within the party. However, even after a year since his removal, he has not been assigned any major responsibility. This has left Annamalai and his supporters upset.

One Seat for BJP in Coimbatore

For the Assembly elections, 27 constituencies have been allotted to the BJP in alliance with the AIADMK. Like the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Annamalai expressed interest in contesting from Coimbatore this time as well. It was expected that he would be given an opportunity in either the Kavundampalayam or Singanallur constituencies. However, only one constituency has been allotted to the BJP in Coimbatore.

The constituency Annamalai wished to contest was not secured by the BJP. In the Coimbatore North constituency allotted to the BJP, Annamalai had secured a significant number of votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Therefore, he requested the Coimbatore North seat. However, BJP National Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan has already been actively working there, and hence the party leadership has not given a firm assurance to Annamalai.

Annamalai’s Supporters

Annamalai and his supporters expressed strong dissatisfaction. He has also stayed away from party activities. It is reported that he wrote a letter to the Delhi leadership stating his unwillingness to contest in the Assembly elections. In that letter, he reportedly mentioned that the seats allotted to the BJP in the AIADMK alliance are not winnable.

He also stated that some leaders had secured constituencies where they could win, while leaving weaker constituencies for others. He reportedly expressed concern that if he contested, party workers might assume he was complicit in this arrangement, which is why he did not wish to contest.

Letter to Leadership

Following this letter, it is said that the BJP national leadership contacted Annamalai. He was reportedly told that a leader of his stature must contest, and that his absence could lead to a major setback for the BJP in Tamil Nadu. It was also conveyed that this could make it difficult for key leaders to win, and hence he must contest.

As a result, while Annamalai was campaigning in Puducherry yesterday, he was called to Chennai by BJP central observer Piyush Goyal, who is overseeing Tamil Nadu affairs. Annamalai participated in the candidate selection meeting. It is said that Piyush Goyal placed several requests before him, including the key request that he must contest in the upcoming Assembly elections.

If Contesting, Then Coimbatore North

At that time, Annamalai reportedly told Piyush Goyal that he would prefer to contest only from the Coimbatore North constituency. It is also said that he expressed willingness to contest from any constituency within the Coimbatore Lok Sabha segment. However, only one seat has been allotted to the BJP in Coimbatore. It is also being said that the party secured the Coimbatore North constituency considering Vanathi Srinivasan’s plans to contest from there.

BJP state leaders have already recommended three names for each constituency, from which the party leadership will finalize one candidate. In this context, Modakkurichi is a constituency where the BJP has previously won, and Saraswathi is the sitting MLA. Annamalai’s name has reportedly been included in the list sent to the leadership for this constituency as well.

Who Gets Coimbatore North?

However, Annamalai has reportedly made it clear that if he contests, it must be from Coimbatore North, and he is unwilling to contest from any other constituency, including Modakkurichi. Meanwhile, his supporters have taken to social media demanding that the Coimbatore North seat be allotted to him.

With Vanathi Srinivasan already preparing to contest from Coimbatore North, there is growing anticipation over whether the seat will be given to Annamalai or to her. The answer is expected to be known when the BJP releases its candidate list today or tomorrow.