Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president and ex-IPS officer K Annamalai has launched a new movement under the slogan “Maaruvom, Maatruvom” (Let’s change, let’s transform). He said that 10 lakh people registered online to join the initiative on its very first day.
Annamalai, who has exited the BJP, has named the platform “Idhu Namma Iyakkam” and shared a social media link for those who wish to enrol. According to him, within an hour of the announcement, one lakh people expressed interest in following his path, with registrations continuing through the day.
Citing the response, Annamalai said he has decided to take the next step of converting the movement into a political party. He plans to make the formal announcement on September 14.
In remarks shared on social media, Annamalai said he holds “great respect” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but added that he did not want to become a continuing “problem” when differences arise. He said he had informed the BJP leadership on December 4, 2025, about his intention to leave, and stayed on to complete election-related work.
He said the proposed party would contest the next general election in Tamil Nadu and would focus on preparing leaders, volunteers and professionals, including those from the technology sector. He also spoke of building a cadre of honest and capable leaders from the grassroots, and argued that political change requires more than just a chief minister, ministers, MLAs or MPs.
