The clarification comes a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 27 candidates for the April 23 assembly elections, with Annamalai’s absence attracting attention across political circles.

Annamalai said he would play an extensive organizational role during the elections, campaigning for the BJP in several states.“…In this election, my role is to campaign for the candidates all over Tamil Nadu. Right now, the party has given me the responsibility to campaign in Puducherry and Kerala till the 7th (April). From the 7th to the 23rd, I have to campaign for all the BJP and NDA candidates across Tamil Nadu. The party has given me this responsibility. I will fulfill that responsibility.”He also thanked the party leadership for accepting his decision.“When I showed no interest in contesting the elections, how could the leadership allot me a ticket? If I had decided to contest the elections, it would not have mattered from which constituency I would have contested. I am grateful to the BJP leadership for respecting my decision and giving me the opportunity to campaign in support of the NDA alliance candidates,” he said.However, there were reports that Annamalai had conveyed to the party’s national leadership his “extreme” displeasure over the constituencies allotted to the national party by the AIADMK.Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran described Annamalai’s absence from the candidate list as a call for leadership.Expressing confidence in the party’s candidates, Nagendran said, “This is the decision of the high command….” “This time all 27 candidates will definitely win.”Despite not contesting the elections, Annamalai remains at the center of the BJP’s campaign strategy. BJP MP Tejashwi Surya said his popularity will benefit the party across the state.“Annamalai is the most popular leader of BJP, he has huge supporters not only in Tamil Nadu but all over the country. He has been given the responsibility of campaigning for all the candidates in Tamil Nadu.” I am confident that Annamalai’s popularity across Tamil Nadu and her campaign will translate into victory for BJP candidates across the state,” Surya said.The BJP candidate list includes senior leaders like Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North and Union Minister L Murugan from Avinashi.Former IPS officer Annamalai, known as “Singham”, had served as Tamil Nadu BJP president before being replaced by Nagendran. He played a key role in expanding the party’s presence in the state and led outreach initiatives such as the “En Mana, En Makkal” yatra.The BJP is contesting the elections in the state as part of the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Under the alliance arrangement, AIADMK will contest 169 seats out of 234, while BJP along with other allies will contest 27 seats.Tamil Nadu will go to polls in a single phase on April 23 and counting of votes will take place on May 4. The main contest is expected to be between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the NDA, in which actor-turned-politician Vijay is also in the fray.Why could this move work for BJP?Annamalai has been relieved of constituency-level responsibilities, allowing him to campaign extensively in many areas. His role as a star campaigner strengthens the BJP’s reach in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.This also helps the BJP to emphasize on a stable alliance with the AIADMK. His absence has eased Edappadi’s friction with Palaniswami, helping ease coalition coordination.Annamalai was known for his ruthless criticism of AIADMK and DMK. Subsequently, EPS had made Annamalai’s exit from state politics a pre-condition for alliance talks before the elections.The leadership change to Nainar Nagendran indicated a more coalition-friendly and structured approach. This allowed the party to present a unified command and avoid internal contradictions during elections.What can go against BJPAnnamalai’s absence from the polls may demoralize grassroots workers who see him as a prominent leader. The BJP is in danger of weakening its independent “third force” narrative in Tamil Nadu politics.His aggressive campaigning style, which attracted young voters, may not have been fully successful without him contesting the elections. This move may create confusion among voters regarding the direction of the party leadership in the state.This can be interpreted as the BJP giving space to AIADMK within the alliance framework. The lack of a strong face as a candidate may also affect the local level electoral momentum.