- 11 months ago
Addressing an India Today Conclave South 2025 session, K Annamalai discussed his journey from policing to politics and why he chose the ideological path with the BJP. He spoke about the party’s strategy in Tamil Nadu and the alliance with AIADMK for 2026 Assembly polls, emphasising pragmatism over ego. He also shared his vision for connecting with young voters and engaging the 18–39 age group. Watch as he outlines the road ahead for the BJP and the NDA in Tamil Nadu.
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00:00Welcome Mr. Annamalai. Welcome to the India Today conclave. Welcome to Coimbatore. Thank
00:04you. We are in your Uru. This is your Uru. This is my place where I am there for the
00:10last 20 years now. Came here to study 2002 for engineering. Got married here. Wife is
00:16from here. So city adopted me. I adopted the city. Both of us are here. So then you are
00:21home. Yes ma'am. Thank you. We could be seeing, we could tomorrow see that the vice president
00:26of the country also comes from Coimbatore. Another proud moment for Coimbatore city
00:31because he was an MP here twice and tomorrow hopefully and certainly when he becomes the
00:37vice president of our country and Coimbatore will rightfully say that it has produced a
00:42lot of gentleman politicians and CP Radha Krishnanji will be one. In fact the first finance minister
00:47of our country also came from Coimbatore, Shanmugam city. From there a lot of great people have
00:51adorned highest offices. That's true. I agree with you. Coimbatore has a legacy of
00:56great minds, great people. Mr. Annamalai, I began my introduction by referring to your
01:01IPS days. You are now a politician. Do you think you have been able to affect more change
01:06as a politician or as a police officer?
01:10Madam, I think democracy, politics is very gradual in nature and nothing happens overnight
01:16and especially in a state like Tamil Nadu, I have taken a path, taken an ideological path
01:21with Bare Janata Party which will take some time. So patience is very important and I
01:26can't just measure in 5 years, 10 years. I should have done this, we should have done
01:30this, the party should have done this. With respect to Kaki, it's a great field. Enjoyed
01:35my 9-10 years there. But for me I always believe in karma, madam. I don't look at the past now.
01:40So politics, it's a long, long game. It's more like a marathon. You just have to stay the
01:45course. I keep telling people that BJP has to get a chance once in Tamil Nadu where people
01:50should give their love to us. Once it happens, then continuously we'll keep getting that love.
01:54And to get that love once, you've got to stay the course. And it might happen 10 years from
01:58now, 5 years from now, you never know. But before that, I never get into this habit of
02:03measuring what should have happened, I should have continued, I should have stayed. But this
02:07is the call I've taken with fullness of my heart because I believed my state needed a
02:11change. I believe my state needed a different direction, the way it was being there and the
02:15way it has to go. And I'm committed to it.
02:18You're saying stay the course. But there are ups and downs. Do you think right now you're
02:23on a down or an up in your political career?
02:27There is nothing called political up and down. And you can't always drive in a fifth gear.
02:31And sometimes reverse gear, sometimes second gear, sometimes first gear.
02:34Which gear are you on now?
02:35I'm not in any gear. I'm very happy where I am. So I didn't get too excited when things
02:39are going our way. This is the path we want to go and we will go in this. And right now
02:44we have taken a call, the leadership has taken a call that we'll align with ADMK for the
02:482026 election. It's a very larger strategic call. Tamil Nadu needs a change. All of us
02:53are very clear. And 2026, the only way change can happen is when BJP and ADMK aligning together.
02:59Without that, I don't see a change possible because of the nature of vote share in the
03:02first-past-the-post democracy. So we are committed to it. And for that to happen, there are no
03:07two questions. We've got to commit ourselves to NDA, where ADMK is a part of NDA.
03:12Is there a change of tune from you, Mr. Annamalek?
03:14Were you always for this alliance? Did you always think the BJP and AI-ADMK should be
03:19aligning? Because you spoke very publicly for the BJP fighting alone.
03:24100%. I'm always for BJP fighting alone, no doubt about that. And always for BJP trying
03:28to make a mark slowly, steadily and coming to power. But we also have to understand the
03:33harsh realities. And 2024 elections and 2026 when you see, these are entirely two different
03:38elections. And 2026 is a classic case where BJP is not in a position to form power on its
03:43own. Because of the nature of vote share. With Vijay coming in, multiple vote splits happening.
03:48And ADMK being the principled opposition party. And ADMK being a challenger to the DMK.
03:53And we've got to be pragmatic to accept what is more important to us at this point of time.
03:59And 2026, the importance to us is, DMK should be thrown out of power. Tamil Nadu needs a change.
04:04And again, if we go by ego's sake to say BJP will be here, ADMK will be there, multiple parties will
04:09be there. And we might see a 2024 result again in 2026 once more. So I am okay with it. And the
04:15party leadership has taken a very strategic, deep calculated call. And it is a very pragmatic call
04:19also. And I hope and pray in 2026, whatever risk we have taken, whatever call we have taken,
04:25that comes to your fruition.
04:26If I had asked you this question six months ago, would your answer have been the same? Or would
04:31you have said, look, the BJP should fight on its own to establish itself as a force away and
04:39separate from the Dravidian parties? Or has that view changed in the last few months because of
04:43the high command?
04:44No, we haven't merged our parties. We are part of an alliance where ADMK is part, BJP is part. Six
04:49months back, if you asked me, I would have pushed my case to say BJP should have contested alone
04:53again independently for multiple elections. One more, two more, we are there. That's how
04:57winning happens. But when the leadership listens to all sides of the story, when they take a
05:02very deep, pragmatic call, considering 2026, the importance to that country, all we can
05:07do as karyakata of this party is push our case. At the end of the day, the leaders make a decision
05:11listening to everybody. We should be humble enough and pragmatic enough to understand the
05:15leadership is looking at some other things which we are not seeing. And once the decision
05:19is made, the party discipline is always, we follow it, we commit ourselves to it. Yes,
05:24I am not hiding anything here. Six months back, you have asked me, I would have pushed
05:27our case. Now, since the leadership has made our decision, by listening to all of us, listening
05:31to multiple points of view, like I have a point of view, somebody might have a different point
05:34of view. And once all the points of view are accounted that this needs a combination of
05:39parties so that vote share doesn't get split too much between other parties, I hope and
05:44pray 2026 would also be a very respectable alliance for BJP and ADMK there. And it will
05:51also be an opportunity for us not only to bring ADMK to power, not only to have an ADMK
05:55chief minister, but also to have more number of BJP MLS in the assembly so that people can
05:59see our performance and work.
06:01AI ADMK chief minister. So you are making it clear that you are for Edapadi Paraniaswamy
06:06as the NDA CM phase.
06:08Of course, ma'am. That decision is made by the party and made by the NDA leaders.
06:14Because you said previously that there was no decision.
06:16No, no, no.
06:17It was clearly made. And in Chennai also, Amitshaji was very clearly specified. It is
06:22Edapadi Paraniaswamyji, who is our chief ministerial candidate for NDA. I have also spoken this
06:26multiple times. The decision is made with respect to NDA, with respect to the chief ministerial
06:31candidate. Because Tamil Nadu, we can't confuse the public. Public looks at leaders. They
06:34need who is competing against whom. Party is one side, ideology is one side. But people
06:38want to evaluate the leaders. So right now it is Edapadi Paraniaswamyji. We have clearly
06:41announced all of us are backing him. And we are very sure in 2026 we will see a shift
06:46and he will become the chief minister of the state.
06:48So you are saying you are back Edapadi Paraniaswamy as the NDA CM candidate. There has been a lot
06:53of rumblings within the AI ADMK the last few days. TTV, Dhinakaran, you had OPS some time
06:59back. You have got Sengotean now. What is the BJP stand? What do you think, Mr. Annamarai?
07:04Should the AI ADMK be united? There have been voices within the BJP that have said
07:08everyone should come together.
07:09I don't know. We get the fact, right? ADMK doesn't like anybody from outside talking how
07:14ADMK should be. Naturally, when anybody from outside talking about how BJP should be, I
07:18also don't like. So it is for the ADMK leaders who are sitting inside. And for them, it is
07:23their party. They decide how they should go and which way they should go. And it is purely
07:27the ADMK station. Because I keep telling this not now, madam. Last four years after I have
07:31come into Tamil Nadu politics in my previous role and now, I have been very clear. I made a difference
07:36of opinion with the ADMK party previously. Yes, they are a different ideology. We are
07:40a different ideology. But I never advocated for anybody from outside advising ADMK how
07:45they should govern themselves. They matured enough. Very tall leaders. They have ruled
07:48the state for 31 odd years, multiple times. When you put ADMK and DMK head to head, it
07:53is ADMK which has ruled the state more number of times than DMK. So statistics is very clear.
07:58Now, I personally don't want sitting outside as other parties to tell ADMK this how they should
08:03be. At the same time, I hope ADMK knows for 2026 to happen, it has to be a very unified
08:11front, overall NDA. Because I don't want, as a Karykartha of BJP, different NDA partners
08:17voicing out. Every vote counts. Every vote matters. And I am sure ADMK is a very matured,
08:23large-hearted leader. There are 7-8 months to go. And things will be sorted. We are talking
08:27at this point of time now, today. Because the election fever hasn't caught Tamil Nadu. Let us
08:31wait. And the ADMK's senior leadership are matured enough to take a decision. And they are very
08:36clear. Because we are challenging DMK. And every vote counts. And it is Yadapadi Pallani Samyana's
08:42chance to become the chief minister of that state. I am sure he has got his personal stake also inside.
08:47So he will take a very matured decision. We are very clear. We don't want to interfere sitting
08:50outside and commenting how they should run the party.
08:52No interference. But your view is clear. That it should be unified.
08:56BJP also has a policy. We have to understand from 2017. Media can write so many things. Media
09:01can say so many things. But we never interfere. And people might say so many things. Because
09:05we believe interfering in a democracy with a political party, twisting, cutting, it will
09:12not carry you a long way. And anybody who is following an Indian democracy for a long
09:15time will know. It might give you a short-term benefit. And Tamil voters and Tamil people are
09:20very clear. And any outside interference, they don't tolerate much. And that is always
09:25the stand in Tamil Nadu. And BJP is a party. We advocate our stand, our ideology. But the
09:29moment you try to put your fingers in others, try to push things here and there, and Tamil
09:34Nadu electorate, the voters are very unforgiving in that part. Yes.
09:37Mr. Annamalai, I will ask you rather bluntly. Is there bad blood between you and the AIA-DMK
09:42leadership?
09:44There is no bad blood. I am sure as you have to understand, madam. And I am a very strong
09:48person in my own conviction and views. I am here to grow the BJP. Let us be very clear.
09:53Why will I waste my time sitting somewhere and doing my work? I want BJP to come to power
09:58someday. Now we also have to be pragmatic and realistic. In 2027, it is going to be an
10:02alliance. The moment we say it is an alliance, it is not a lip-sake. By heart, we are committed
10:07to put our heart and soul. In fact, I have mentioned a couple of weeks back that we will
10:11give our blood and blood everything to make Adapati Panani Swami chief minister. Because
10:15that is how alliances work. Alliances doesn't work when you pay lip service, you don't commit
10:20yourself to it. The moment you commit yourself, you got to go the full distance. But even
10:24ADMK friends and leaders will also respect the fact that whatever I spoke, I spoke for
10:29my party. Speaking for my party doesn't mean I am insulting any other person. I am insulting
10:33some other karekarta. Just for every single karekarta, their party is great. For me, my
10:38party is great. That's how I see it. All of us are matured enough to understand this line
10:42we fought. This is the Lakshman Rekha we fought. 2024 election we fought. Right now,
10:47we are on a different battlefield. That battlefield is different, this is different. And every
10:51soldier should recalibrate, readjust to a new battlefield. If I am not doing it and still
10:56singing the 2024 praise, I don't think ADMK cadres are going to forgive me nor I am going
11:00to forgive anybody. So right now, we are a team. 2026 is important to us. The whole aim
11:05is because DMK is a very formidable party. If you look at DMK in 21, 24, if you look at
11:12that, they are always above 45, 47 percent road share. So they are still number one party
11:16for you? At this point of time, if you ask me, the election fever hasn't set in. The
11:22anti-incubancy factor is not filled in. And their alliances are very strong, very kind of
11:27coherent. So probably in December, November, December, January is the time, our alliance will
11:32start taking a lead. Because the anti-incubancy factor has to start kicking in. Right now,
11:36we are just laying down all the groundwork. The opposition leader is touring the state.
11:40As we speak now, he is touring Coimbatore, he is touring across the state. We are also
11:43getting our party in shape by the Booth committees. So we are also getting everything in order.
11:47By December, January, probably that is the time to come in that we have overtaken the DMK alliance.
11:52Do you regret the comments that you had made on corruption, on J.J. Lalitha?
11:57Madam, we have to understand, I never mentioned the word called J.J. Lalitha.
12:02J.J. Lalitha anywhere. And if you look at my interviews, people can attribute, people
12:07can read between lines. So I am not here to defend, I never said it, I said it. We have
12:12to understand, when I speak something, I am speaking for my party, I am speaking in the
12:16context of corruption. I am magnanimous enough and matured enough not to name a leader. I think
12:22in a political space, all of us should have that freedom to navigate certain things in
12:27our own domain, at the same time not hurting the sentiments of a leader. If you have taken
12:31the name of a certain leader, then you are fully right within your ambit to question
12:35me. When I am talking about something in a context, what has happened, without naming
12:40a leader, by giving due respect, those sensitivities of the public, sensitivities of the cadres,
12:45I think people have to respect it. When somebody says you shouldn't even speak about corruption,
12:49shouldn't even speak anything, then I don't think, there is no point doing politics. If
12:53somebody says you have mentioned that name, you have mentioned this name, yes, I stand guilty
12:57as charged. Any interview, any outspoken matters, print, electronic, I have never mentioned the
13:04word J.J. Lalita anywhere, anywhere with respect to corruption. So that people have to acknowledge.
13:09At the same time, in the context of corruption, when I talk about corruption prevalent in the
13:13state, this has happened, that has happened, people attributing things here and there, I am
13:18very sorry madam, because what happens is, I can't keep defending everything. People should
13:22have the maturity to understand, okay, he came here, but he had the maturity and the
13:26foresight and the wisdom to stop here and go back. So that is what I am doing. At the
13:30same context, we have to understand, when ADMK leadership or a DMK leadership, when they
13:34criticize our party, for right or wrong reasons, for me it could be a wrong reason, for them
13:39it could be a right reason, different points of time. So we also have to understand, yes,
13:42they have come close, but with dignity they have commented, there is a Lakshman Rekha,
13:46they have stopped. That's how ADMK sees me, that's how I see the ADMK.
13:49Okay. So you would repeat that statement then?
13:52Madam, there is no point in repeating. I continue to say, Tamil Nadu is a state that is highest
13:58in the country in terms of functional corruption. Functional corruption is go to a Tassildur
14:03office, you go to a police station, you go to an RT office, it is the highest state with
14:07functional corruption. That culture has to change, because politics itself is very costly
14:11in the state. 450 crore, 500 crore, 1000 crore, that is the kind of numbers you hear in every
14:16single election. Functional corruption is perverted everywhere and people say corruption
14:20is accepted a part of Tamil Nadu politics, which I don't believe. That is why my fight
14:24is always towards corruption. I believe there comes a time when corruption will be a main
14:29pole plank. Maybe not now, maybe not in the future, but there comes a time and we all
14:33should have the wisdom and maturity to wait for that time.
14:37Mr. Annamalai, for the last many months, you were projected as a poster boy of Tamil Nadu
14:42BJP. You were the president of the Tamil Nadu BJP as well. What happened? Why did that
14:48change? Why did your leadership role change? Did you see it as a demotion?
14:51Mr. Annamalai, we have to understand when the party, our senior leadership decide to go
14:56for an alliance, and I should also think as a karekartha what is good for the party. And
15:02moment the decision is made that this is how it is going to be, this is how the alliance
15:05is going to be, yes, I don't want any friction or rubbing to happen. I might see somebody,
15:10they might see somebody, words were spoken, words were spoken against me, I have spoken
15:13words. And I felt as a karekartha also, this is the right time that a new president should
15:19step in, the party should bring a new person. Probably the alliance should know. It's not
15:23about choosing, not choosing, madam, it is about when they ask my opinion, I give my
15:27opinion to say this is how it should be. The party makes a decision, the leadership
15:30makes a decision. So the moment you say the alliance is going to happen, just like
15:342024, the national leadership gave me the playground, the freedom to operate as Tamil Nadu
15:38president for the 2024 Lok Sabha. When the national leadership says, this is how they
15:42want to do 2026, then I should give them that space. So right now it is a space that
15:46is given, new leader, Nainar Nagendra is a very capable person and very, very, very
15:51strong leader in his own way. And the whole hope the alliance should gel, Canada should
15:55move around, vote transfer should happen, and 2026 should see a change of government.
15:59So this is not an ego issue. And politics, you know, it is not a 100 meter race to say
16:03I am here, I am there. It is a, when I die, that point of time, I would like to see my
16:08accounts, if it is 70, 80 or 90 years, what I have done, what I have brought to the political
16:12stream. Right now I am too young in politics to say, I should have done this, I should have
16:16done that. Right now, the goal is to bring ADMK 2026, NDA to power in 2026. As a career
16:23I am doing everything in my right to make sure it happens.
16:27I am sure you are ambitious too though. I am sure you see a vision for yourself also as a
16:31politician. What is that?
16:33Madam Tamil Nadu, I believe, if you look at the voters and the youngsters here, it is a
16:39very paradoxical voting to political speech that we give. So about 9 lakh voters are in
16:4718 and 19 years of age, very aspirational, just before Rahul spoke. About 1 crore 8 lakh
16:53voters are between 20 to 29. 1 crore 28 lakh voters are between 30 to 39. So if you take
17:0018 to 39, if you take that bracket, you are looking at 2 crore 28 lakh voters in that
17:07space. They are very aspirational, they think very differently. And politically, I think
17:12we are yet to connect to them. And that is a very different voting class, different breed.
17:17Their aspiration is very different. 40 to 60, you are looking at another 2 crore 40 lakh
17:22voters in that category, which is in established politics it sees. And above 60 is a different
17:27category. So I would like to see all of us, including me, changing our narrative to suit
17:34the 18 to 40. Because they are the people who will decide what kind of state they want
17:38in. So that is one important politics which all of us have to change. I look forward to
17:42that in the near future. And second, this generation, if you look at it, people might see, why is
17:47Mr. Vijay doing that? I am bringing Vijay now even before you are asking me. When he puts
17:50an Instagram, 15 million people like it, this happens, he puts this and all. Because the
17:55Zenzi is very different. And the Zenzi, the established political people can't get a fathom
18:00about Zenzi. They think very different. Their attitudes are very different. Their likability
18:05factor are very different. So this election is so crucial because Tamil Nadu, you will
18:09see this 2 crore 28 lakh voters below 40, 2 crore 45 lakh voters 40 to 60. That is why
18:15it is a very tough election space we are. With a person like Vijay coming in, a very, very
18:20superstar in his own right, got throes of fans there, collecting to Zenzi crowd. That
18:25is why this election, there is no fight. Because you fight, there is not an election, it is on
18:30a cakewalk, it is on a platter. Meaning you form an alliance, go and contest election, you
18:34are winning. This is not that kind of an election. If it is a two way fight, I would say like that.
18:37It is a three way fight. It is mostly two and a half, maybe a three way fight depending
18:40on what Mr. Vijay is able to do. So that is why NDA, with full fire power, we got to go to
18:45the field. Tap into all the youngsters, Zenzi, connect with them in an aspirational way. So
18:50this, I believe, is slightly more for the future also. That is where people like me and other
18:55politicians would like to play a major role. Do you think then, since you brought up Vijay,
18:59that Vijay has cracked the code as far as the young voter is concerned? You have seen all the
19:04images of his rallies and it is crazy the kind of crowds that are coming together. All youngsters.
19:09Do you think he has cracked that Gen Z code that you are talking about?
19:12It is not about cracking per se, because Tamil Nadu always gives respect to a newcomer. Newcomer
19:17generally polls 8 to 10 percent, 8 to 12 percent if they are very good. It gives that respect to a
19:21young newcomer, newcomer from Captain Vijay Khan to Kamalagasan sir and now Mr. Vijay. Now question
19:28is what is the addition they are going to do about 10 percent? What is the addition? How hard they can
19:32add in the next six months? So that is one challenge for him. With respect to Zenzi, definitely Mr. Vijay is
19:37there, no doubt about that, because he connects, movie connects well to an audience. And generally,
19:41Zenzi is slightly more anti-establishment than a normal guy. They want immediate change. What
19:45is happening in Nepal today? What happened in Bangladesh? We are seeing across the country.
19:48The protests are led by youngsters now. You ban a social media, they come to the road, they say,
19:52why are you doing this? We are questioning this. So that is why Tamil Nadu election for me is slightly
19:56more critical. All of us have to tighten our socks, make sure every vote counts, go to the bottom of
20:02it, don't leave any segments out, bring everybody together. With respect to Mr. Vijay, I am clear from day one,
20:08one is a competitor, without a doubt, because somebody coming at the peak of a cinematic area,
20:13somebody coming there and standing, and saying that I am going to stand alone continuously. So
20:18he is a competitor. But at the same time, we have a proven leadership. The chief ministerial candidate
20:24that we have proposed, who was the former chief minister, Mr. Adepadi Palani Samiji himself is a
20:29proven chief minister, track record. COVID times, couple of issues, he has proven his leadership at that
20:33point of time. So it is going to be a combination of things. Certainly with respect to DMK, Mr.
20:39Stalin, the current chief minister of our state, he will also claim that he has done this many things.
20:43So it is going to be, one, a personality clash, it is going to be a generational clash, it is going
20:48to be an age clash, then it is going to be an ideological clash. If somebody says 2026 is only
20:53about ideology, no. If somebody says 2026 is only about Zenzi and old and middle, no. Economy also,
21:00lower economy, middle economy, people see the economy very differently. So multiple factors
21:04together, it is a very hotspots of issues. So you got to be very deep, very deep inside the whole
21:11election game, and take your alliance and party across the line. You refer to Vijay as a competitor,
21:16but there are questions about whether the BJP is also looking to bring him on board to the NDA. There
21:21have been clear outreaches, clear olive branches that have been extended. Is the BJP, and on one hand
21:27you have Vijay constantly criticising two parties, the BJP and the DMK in all of his rallies. On the
21:31other, the AI-DMK very silent, and the BJP, is it trying to pull Vijay into the fold?
21:38I think Mr. Vijay is very clear in his head with respect to the politics he wants to follow. He wants
21:43to keep our party, BJP, as an ideological enemy, because I think Tamil Nadu, there is still some people
21:49believe, keep opposing anybody from northern part of India, keep opposing any national party, keep opposing
21:55any party as outside Tamil Nadu. It's a set template, and Vijay has also fallen to the
21:59template of saying BJP is my ideological enemy. Naturally, he has to oppose the DMK. So when he
22:04has taken this stand, continuously over the last 4-5 months, I am not very sure how the gelling is
22:10going to happen. So I don't see a possibility of a gelling happen, because it is multiple times.
22:14And he has also, in the last Madurai conference, he has also criticised the ADMK party in some way.
22:19And the ADMK party chief has also responded in kind to whatever he has said. So when things are on this
22:24way, I don't, honestly, I can't see a future right now sitting, just for the sake of DMK,
22:31opposing DMK, all of us coming together. Because like, Nam Tamilar Kachi, Mr. Seaman,
22:35he's also a competitor. 6, 8, 10%, whatever the vote share is having, he's also a competitor.
22:40But again, ideologically, it's far away. So you will have, that is why I mentioned, you will have a
22:44clear two-fight. Probably Mr. Vijay, depending on September, wherever he goes from 10, 12, wherever up,
22:50down, Mr. Seaman, wherever he goes up, down. So you're looking at 20, 25% vote share outside the
22:56domain, with so many youngsters, a lot of things happening, churning. That is why it is going to
23:00be a very interesting election. Interesting. But Mr. Annamalai, I'd like to bring it back to you.
23:04A lot of questions about what next now. The general perception is that while the central BJP, the BJP
23:11high command, whether it's Prime Minister Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah, they're incredibly fond of you.
23:17And they show it in pictures also. In all of these rallies, there are images of them hugging you,
23:21holding your hand up in the air, almost declaring you as the face of the Tamil Nadu BJP. There's a
23:27perception that while the central BJP and the BJP high command wants to push you, wants to prop you up,
23:34that there are factions within the Tamil Nadu BJP that don't want to see you grow, that are against
23:39the way you function. But a way to understand, I don't have anything against my colleagues. Everybody is
23:45a very respectable colleague, very important colleague. And all of us think very differently.
23:50For example, I see politics from 2021. Somebody is seeing politics from 1970. Somebody is seeing
23:55politics from 1980. There are leaders within our BJP party who are part of the DMK Alliance,
24:00part of the ADMK Alliance previously. So right now from 2021, I'm pushing a case that we can have a
24:06future of our own in Tamil Nadu, maybe within the next 10 years, we got to do this. So naturally,
24:12difference of opinion will crop up because we have different viewpoints with respect to the party
24:16has to grow. Like I said, all of us can give our viewpoint. I can give my viewpoint. A senior leader
24:20can give the viewpoint. Finally, combinedly, when all the viewpoints are discussed, when a decision
24:25is made, all of us stick to that. Even if I don't agree to it, I stick to it because the party's called.
24:30And with respect to my colleagues here, it's a happy family. We have to understand, madam,
24:35just like in the morning, I saw a tweet where you couldn't settle between Tamil Nadu dosa and Karnataka dosa.
24:40In a family, the happy fights always happen. Just like the India Today family debating today,
24:45which dosa is better. Even the Tamil Nadu BJP family will have a lot of debates within us to
24:49say which is better, which is not better. So it's a democratic newsroom of sorts.
24:52Yes. So it's a democratic party that we have. So conflicts, difference of opinion doesn't mean
24:59that people hate somebody. People still have the maturity and respect to say,
25:02you might have a difference of opinion, but I love you because you are my family. So that we always have.
25:06So there's no anti-Annamalai campaign in the Tamil Nadu BJP?
25:11Is there a camp? An anti-Annamalai camp?
25:13I mean, Annamalai is not that big a leader to say there is anti-Annamalai camp already. Maybe in
25:17the future it might happen. Right now I'm a very small leader and I'm not that capable enough to
25:21have more enemies who will want to push me out. There's been a lot of talk of a national role for
25:27you, a central role that hasn't been defined yet. And there's a lot of curiosity about what it's going
25:32to be. Can you tell us what's coming up? You know, I remember a few months ago they thought
25:37Rajasabha seat. And then when the news came in as expected with the BJP, nobody got it right. And so
25:43it wasn't you, Mr. Annamalai. So it's not the Rajasabha. What next then? Are you looking at a role in
25:49the BJP, national BJP? With respect to BJP, let us be clear,
25:52madam, whatever comes in TV doesn't happen. So that is the good thing about BJP. Anything that comes in TV,
25:57that has happened. So you changed that right now. Tell us what's going to happen. No, no, madam.
26:01Now, the party has given a responsibility now to be in the grassroots, keep working.
26:06And they will define. Whatever they say, you do this tomorrow, I'm going to do it. Right now,
26:09I'm happy. I've got some breather now. I always wanted to do organic farming for some time. Last
26:14three, four years, I was very busy. I got a farmland recently. I'm fully dedicated myself to organic
26:19farming. Last four, five months, I'm spending quite a lot of time, at least two days a week to that,
26:22to do that in Coimbatore. I recently got into that. So I'm very happy about it.
26:27Because I'm free from the administrative activities of the party, I am only getting
26:31the opportunity to travel, talk to karekartas in bigger meetings and come back. So I'm happy
26:35with respect to what I'm doing, more time reading, more time traveling. So tomorrow,
26:39the party says, you've got to do something full-time, I'm ready to do full-time. It is
26:42what the party defines. Right now, I'm not doing a full-time role. I'm happy to do other things in
26:46my life also. So you're a part-time politician currently? Madam, there's no concept called part-time,
26:51full-time politician. A politician should have multiple things in life, because it should enrich
26:56your political life. You should have a family, you should have children, you should do something
27:00which gives meaning to your life. You should find a business to earn money for you, to satisfy your
27:04own family. End of the day, only then you're fit enough to serve the public. If you're a pracharak,
27:09who is fully dedicated to the country, that's a different ballgame. Because you don't have family,
27:12country is your family. For us, the country is our family. At the same time, we also have our
27:17societal and parental pressures to take care of other things also. So the last four years,
27:20I never got the breather to even breathe. Just running around, running around, did a yatra for
27:24a year. So right now, I'm having that little bit of breather to focus on other things also,
27:28along with that party. I'm happy to do balance both things, madam. What really is going to be your
27:34role in the 2026 elections? Is Anna Malay going to be fighting in the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections,
27:40and is it going to be from a seat in Coimbatore? Madam, all 234 seats are good seats. Why Coimbatore,
27:46you're restricting me. Any seat is good seat. You said this is my family, my Parivar, my town. But
27:52party might need me anywhere, so I'm open to it. Party says, don't fight campaign, I'm open to it.
27:56Before 2024, when you asked me the same question in Lok Sabha, a month before I remember answering you,
28:01I said, the party tells me I'll fight. If not, I will work as a Karikarta. So whatever the party says,
28:06I will do it. But we have to understand, 2026 is very crucial with respect to BJP, with respect to
28:11EADMK. Because both of us have taken a considered call. And we should not fail. The thing is, taking
28:16this call, we should not fail. We should only succeed in this call. So all of us should put
28:21our effort, and where the party thinks my effort can be best utilized, they'll put me there.
28:25Okay, let me turn that around. Are you keen on contesting?
28:32I would like to contest elections, if you ask me. Any point of time, if it adds a difference to my party,
28:37if it adds a difference to my party, I would like to contest. If the party thinks it will add a
28:42difference to BJP, difference to the alliance, I would like to contest. If not, I would like to
28:47campaign. So that is for the party to take a call, where will it make the most difference?
28:51You've given us a great analysis of your view and your perspective of what's going to happen in the
28:55upcoming election. So I have to ask you, with the situation as it is right now, what kind of growth do
29:01you think the BJP will manage in the alliance, the current circumstance in the elections?
29:07Give us a number.
29:09That's a tough question madam, because I don't want to get into a number, because when there is a
29:16major political party, in this case ADMK, who is the opposition party in Tamil Nadu,
29:21they got to comfortably fight elections, it's very important, because it is their election,
29:24and they have a CM face, and we are standing in the field. At the same time, large number of partners
29:30in NDA, 2024 was a different game where all of us fought, all of us fought in more number of sheets.
29:35So this time, it's a very careful balancing, making sure ADMK is also not too much uncomfortable,
29:41because they should have enough number of seats to fight the game. And BJP should also have a
29:46respectable number of seats. So I'm using two words. ADMK should have enough number of seats to
29:50fight, good number of seats to fight, and BJP should have a respectable number of seats. What is
29:55that enough number? What is that respectable? Let us wait for our seniors to take a call.
29:59So you're not going to tell us what you think? Because I'm not in a position, it is above my
30:03pay grade to make that number. Finally, before we wrap this up, since you're not giving us a
30:11number of what you think will happen in this election, you did refer to an anti-incumbency factor.
30:16The DMK is still a giant, it's still a monster if you want to really bring them down. It's a formidable
30:23force in Tamil Nadu. What do you think is the big factor that will help the AIA, DMK, BJP,
30:30plus plus to actually manage to even get close to a DMK in this election?
30:34You know, it is better and sharp communication. I think voters need a very strong and sharp
30:39communication. What are our goals as an alliance, as NDA, as ADMK, as Chief Minister Candidate,
30:44Mr. Adapadi Palanisamiji, with respect to different classes, agriculture, traders, industry people,
30:49very sharp communication. That is why we have taken this Yatra. And Yatra connects you to people
30:53in a big way. It has already done about 130 plus constituencies now. So then the major meetings
30:58will start happening. Seven, eight big monadus will happen. BJP will do our own monadu. Then
31:03Honorable Prime Minister will start coming. I think that is why I mentioned the word called November,
31:07December. So that is when the momentum should peak. I am very happy that the alliance is right
31:11now in this form and shape, because you don't want to peak too early. Because politics is all about,
31:15if you peak in six months before, seven months before, you might not get translated to seats.
31:20So I would ideally want NDA, ADMK, Mr. Adapadi Palanisamiji, all of us to peak by late February,
31:27early March. Because the right peaking is very important. When you have a three-way fight,
31:31when Mr. Vijay is also there. So right now, we are exactly where we wanted to be. And November,
31:36December, we should be where we wanted to be. So that February and March, you are right there.
31:40You are right there. So that when the voting happens, people remember you, people believe
31:45they want to change, people should do it. So we don't have to peak early. Right now,
31:48people might say, oh, DMK is ahead. I don't have a problem with DMK being ahead now.
31:51I will have a problem in December, DMK being ahead. So December, I am hopeful that we will be ahead.
31:57The challenge, however, is also that the AI, DMK, BJP, and while you have formed this alliance,
32:02the image always is that it's on shaky ground, that it's not a stable alliance. How do you kind of,
32:08you know, send across a message that you're a united force? Because there's all of this rumbling
32:13constantly every week, news coming in of someone speaking against the alliance, someone saying
32:18something that's not against or for their ally. Madam, that is okay in the sense it will settle
32:23down because 2024 and 2023, 2025 early, our CADAs were trained to speak in a different language,
32:30the more aggressive self. That's okay. And ADMK CADAs and leaders language in 2024,
32:362023 was also different. That's okay. Now you are joining together in a major way.
32:41With a clear goal, 2026, you should take this DMK out of power. So it will take some time to
32:47settle down. I think the leadership is mature enough to understand. Small, small stray comments
32:51here and there. It is not going to create major issue. It will settle down. That is why I mentioned
32:55November, December. Slowly things will settle down at the boot level, at the undrium level,
32:59at the district level. Then the next level of challenge is the MLA candidates. Next level of
33:03challenge will come by December, January. So you, of course, you will see a lot of challenges,
33:07but people understand these are two different parties, two different ideological parties,
33:12parties which sometimes have ran against each other, party which sometimes have combined and
33:16ran together. So I'm talking of last 20, 25 years of story. So people understand to take DMK out in
33:22Tamil Nadu, they have come together. People have the magnanimity to understand. Of course,
33:26ideologically we are different, but we are committed and disciplined enough to stand behind ADMK,
33:30in this case Mr. Adapadi Palani Swamiji, to see it through and make sure we form a government in
33:352026. So the only common ground is defeat DMK? That is one common ground. Give a different pattern
33:41of government to Tamil Nadu, increase BJP's presence in assembly, make sure ADMK is comfortable to
33:47contest enough number of seats to get their CM. Multiple things, multiple parties, because both the
33:52parties cannot have a single agenda. We have multiple agenda which is a common agenda. And before I wrap
33:57this up, you're fully committed to an AIADMK BJP alliance. You believe that that's the way forward
34:01for the BJP. That is the only way it will work madam. And in this tough election, the only way is you
34:06got to stand behind, fully commit yourself, see the distance. That is the only way, because it's a
34:11battlefield. You got to have multiple people doing multiple strategies inside the same battlefield.
34:15It's a unified strategy. Just go behind a leader, see it through. Mr. Arna Malai, you won't give us a number,
34:21but hopefully we'll have you in a few months when you can give us a number. Hopefully, if my pay grade is up,
34:25I'll give you the number, madam. Right now, not in a question. Thank you, madam. Okay, hopefully that
34:29happens in the next few months. But thank you so much for being candid, for answering all of our
34:33questions. Big round of applause, please, for Mr. Arna Malai here, joining us here at the India Today Conflict.
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