India, April 3 -- When the BJP launched its aggressive push into Tamil Nadu politics particularly in the last assembly elections, K Annamalai, a former top cop named 'Singham' after a movie title for his combative style, was the undisputed face of that charge. The 2026 elections tell a different story.

The BJP released its list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections on April 3, but Annamalai, a former state unit president, was not on it. While senior leaders like Tamilisai Soundararajan (from Mylapore segment), Vanathi Srinivasan (Coimbatore North), and Union Minister L Murugan (Avinashi) have been fielded, Annamalai is thus not contesting the April 23 elections.

Last year, Nainar Naginthiran replaced K Annamalai as the ...