Tamil Nadu: Amid reports about K Annamalai likely stepping down as BJP Tamil Nadu chief, the politician on Friday suggested that he will not be in the race for the BJP state leadership.

Speaking to ANI, Annamalai said that there is no contest for the Tamil Nadu BJP. “We will select a leader unanimously. But I am not in the race. I am not in the BJP state leadership race,” the news agency quoted Annamalai as saying.

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The decision comes amid the likelihood of an AIADMK-BJP alliance ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections.  Annamalai, who became Tamil Nadu BJP chief in 2021, has been at odd with AIADMK and had even threatened to quit the party if it ties up with the Dravidian party.

However, as the BJP central leadership and the AIADMK brass work towards a deal ahead of the elections, Annamalai has softened his stance. The former IPS officer-turned politician had made scathing attacks against AIADMK and its chief Edappadi K Palaniswami after it snapped ties with the saffron camp.

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After parting ways with AIADMK ahead of the 2024 general elections, both the BJP and its former ally had suffered humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Notably, there is also a caste equation that prompted the BJP to realign with the AIADMK. BJP MLA Nainar Nagendran, a popular leader from Tirunelveli is a frontrunner to replace Annamalai as Tamil Nadu BJP chief. Nagendran belongs to the influential Thevar community.