Annamalai takes study break to Oxford as BJP steps up plan for 2026 Tamil Nadu elections

A month after the BJP's zero-seat outcome in the Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections, state chief K. Annamalai is reportedly heading to the UK for a sabbatical under the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence at the University of Oxford.

Annamalai's break has set off murmurs that the leader may be upset due to insufficient support from senior leaders and differing views on contesting the 2026 Assembly polls in alliance. Annamalai has been advocating for the BJP to contest alone, a stance that led to friction with AIADMK, culminating in their split before the Lok Sabha elections. His comments criticizing AIADMK leader and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa were a major factor in the AIADMK severing its ties with the party before the Lok Sabha elections.

The three-month fellowship, according to several reports, was on the horizon for Annamalai even before the election results. Scheduled from mid-September to December, the programme caters to young leaders with significant leadership potential. Annamalai has reportedly sought approval from the high command to attend.

Despite leading an ambitious campaign in Tamil Nadu, featuring frequent visits from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders, Annamalai lost his seat in Coimbatore. Despite the Lok Sabha setback, the 39-year-old leader, crediting his aggressive style for strengthening the BJP's presence in Tamil Nadu, has the party's backing, reports claimed. 

In 12 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP-led NDA finished second, outperforming the AIADMK.

A BJP leader, according to an Indian Express report, mentioned Annamalai is eager to embrace this fellowship as a much-needed break to rejuvenate after the elections and his extensive ‘Enn Mann, Enn Makkal’ march. He views this sabbatical as beneficial for his broader ambitions, the leader was quoted as saying.