Will Annamalai float his own party? Cryptic Coimbatore posters spark buzz

The posters, carrying the slogan "Fearless minds know no limits", appeared in various parts of the city amid growing talk of Annamalai's increasing distance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Genesis of the speculation

The buzz gained momentum after Annamalai skipped the BJP's recent state central committee meeting.

The BJP also went ahead with the executive meeting without the former regional chief, who is currently abroad.

According to reports, Annamalai's supporters' organisation, Annamalai Anbu Koottam, has been actively enrolling new members and appointing office-bearers, further fuelling speculation about his political future, India Today reported.

Signs of discord first emerged when Annamalai publicly opposed the BJP-led Centre's three-language policy in education.

He urged the Union Education Ministry to defer the implementation of a notification that would make three languages compulsory in all CBSE schools from Class IX beginning July 1, 2026, and requested that the earlier timeline of 2029-30 be retained.

In a post on X, Annamalai wrote: "This has come as a shock to many parents, especially those from Tamil Nadu, as their children have already selected a language of choice in Class VI, and now the revised notification mandates that Class IX students learn three languages, two of which are native to India, with effect from July 1, 2026."

"Expecting a Class IX student to learn a new language in a short time will only pressurise children and affect their overall learning outcomes," he added.

Rift traced to 2026 Assembly polls

Political observers trace the apparent rift between Annamalai and the BJP leadership to the months leading up to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The BJP's renewed alliance with the AIADMK, led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, reportedly required a more conciliatory approach.

Annamalai's sharp attacks on Dravidian parties had previously strained ties between the two allies, and his removal as state BJP president was widely viewed as part of efforts to smoothen the alliance.

Stepping away from electoral politics

Despite being the BJP's most prominent face in Tamil Nadu, Annamalai chose not to contest the 2026 Assembly elections.

While he maintained that he wanted to focus on campaigning across the state, his absence from the candidate list triggered speculation about differences over strategy and seat-sharing arrangements.

Seat-sharing friction with AIADMK

Reports also suggested that Annamalai was unhappy with the constituencies allocated to the BJP under the alliance agreement.

There were claims that the AIADMK was reluctant to concede seats preferred by Annamalai in the Coimbatore region, further deepening speculation about his equation with the party leadership.

Congress' Karti Chidambaram posts

In an X post, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram claimed a new political party is set for a launch amid the ongoing speculation.

"One more political party in TN is in the offing, the churn accelerates. (MS- there is an interesting logic to the proposed name)," he wrote.