Coimbatore: State party chairman K. Annamalai said on Friday that ‘he is not in the contest’ to be the next state unit chief ahead of the BJP‘s impending internal elections in Tamil Nadu.

“The Tamil Nadu BJP will choose a leader by unanimous vote; there is no contest. I’m not in the race, however. Speaking to media here today, Annamalai said, “I am not in the BJP state leadership race.”

According to party statutes, K. Annamalai’s term as the state president of Tamil Nadu expired a few months ago, and he will remain in office till the new chief is chosen.

The 9th and 10th of this month are probably when the state party presidential elections will be held. They will be led by Delhi leaders and the state party in power.

A few days ago, Edapaddi K. Palaniswami, the general secretary of the AIADMK, met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, sparking rumors of a renewed alliance between the two parties.

On March 26, Palaniswami spoke to the media about the matter and said that the alliance will be decided after the polls.

Palaniswami had said, “I’ve already spoken about the alliance a number of times. Does any party have a strong alliance? Are the DMK alliance’s parties stable? We are unable to inform. This is politics; things will alter based on the political climate. How can we know right now? When the 2019 elections rolled around, we formed an alliance. We made the news in February.

In the same vein, when elections are approaching, we will consult with parties who share our views and decide on an alliance. How can I tell you about it if you ask me now? We will inform you of the status of our partnership.

He said that they sent the Home Minister with a note on the state’s existing problems.

In addition to facing factionalism, the AIADMK has not been able to mount a strong campaign in the last two Lok Sabha elections or the prior assembly elections. After making a strong effort in the most recent Lok Sabha elections but failing to get a seat in the southern state, the BJP is eager to strengthen its chances in Tamil Nadu. Following J. Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, the AIADMK formed an alliance with the BJP.

The 2021 Assembly, the 2024 Lok Sabha, and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were all won by the DMK.

For the 2021 state elections, the BJP and the AIADMK formed an alliance, and the BJP gained four seats. But in 2023, the AIADMK severed its connection with the BJP.