Hours after ending his association with the BJP, former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Friday night claimed that over 10 lakh volunteers had registered for his newly launched political movement, ‘Idhu Namma Iyakkam’, within 10 hours of its launch.
The development marks Annamalai’s first major political move after quitting the BJP and comes at a time when questions are being raised about the party’s future strategy in Tamil Nadu following its disappointing performance in the recent Assembly elections.
Announcing the milestone in a post on X, Annamalai described the response as an endorsement of the movement’s vision.
“Our political movement has achieved a milestone, with over 10 lakh volunteers registering within just 10 hours. This extraordinary response is a powerful reflection of the growing belief in our shared vision and collective mission. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to every individual who has placed their trust in this movement,” he said.
Our political movement has achieved a milestone, with over 10 lakh leaders registering within just 10 hours. This extraordinary response is a powerful reflection of the growing belief in our shared vision and collective mission.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to every… pic.twitter.com/IFWW3InPAh
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 5, 2026
The political development gathered pace on Friday after BJP National President Nitin Nabin accepted Annamalai’s resignation from the party’s primary membership.
In his resignation letter, Annamalai thanked the BJP leadership for supporting issues he had raised during his tenure, but said differences over Tamil Nadu’s political direction had led him to step away.
“I thank the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party for your unwavering support for the causes and concerns I have consistently brought to their attention from time to time,” he wrote.
He added, “After my conversations with our senior leadership, I have come to the conclusion that our views don’t align regarding Tamil Nadu.”
The resignation came shortly after Annamalai’s visit to New Delhi earlier this week, where he met BJP president Nitin Nabin, BJP General Secretary BL Santhosh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Speculation over Annamalai’s future political plans had intensified after the BJP’s performance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Contesting 27 seats as part of its alliance with the AIADMK, the party secured around 3 per cent vote share in the state.