K Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), returned from the United Kingdom after completing the three-month Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence at Oxford University, the political scene in the state was set ablaze. Upon his return, Annamalai wasted no time in delivering a series of sharp jabs at DMK scion and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin or actor turned politician TVK Vijay.
On 1 December 2024, in Coimbatore, after A3, a two-day conference organized by Voice of Covai, Annamalai dismissed TVK’s political ideology as “khichdi politics,” referring to the party’s attempt to combine multiple, often contradictory, political ideologies.
Annamalai indirectly mocked Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay for avoiding a clear stance on right-wing or left-wing politics, instead opting for a centrist approach. He commented, saying., “There are a few today who are playing around the centre without talking about both (right/left). Today there is new kind of politics—khichdi politics. As Vadivelu would say, “One vote for the coconut tree, and another for the palm tree.” Picking a bit of ideology from here, some from there, putting up one leader’s photo here and another’s there, display ten photos in total so no one will criticise. Such political parties have emerged as well. Please call them and ask, ‘How will they eat if you mix rasam rice, curd rice, and sambhar rice and call it a new dish? Either call it rasam rice, curd rice, or sambhar rice. If you ask people will eat all three together, they won’t. This kind of politics has never succeeded anywhere in the world,” eliciting laughter from the audience.
"தென்ன மரத்துல ஒரு குத்து பன மரத்துல ஒரு குத்து".. வடிவேலு காமெடி சொல்லி த.வெ.கவை மறைமுகமாக விமர்சித்த அண்ணாமலை#Chennai | #BJP | #TVK | #ActorVijay | #Annamalai | #PolimerNews pic.twitter.com/7ji4DqAij1
— Polimer News (@polimernews) December 1, 2024
Annamalai’s remarks come in the wake of Vijay’s first state-level conference, where he outlined TVK’s ideological pillars, mentioning leaders such as Periyar, Ambedkar, Kamaraj, Velu Nachiyar, and Anjalai Ammal. The conference drew significant attention, with many interpreting it as Vijay’s attempt to carve a new political space in Tamil Nadu.
Despite his criticism, Annamalai struck a somewhat conciliatory tone, acknowledging Vijay’s popularity. “We have always said that we welcome anyone who enters politics. Vijay is a famous actor at the peak of his career. There is nothing wrong with him wanting to join politics,” he remarked.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Annamalai predicted a shift in the state’s political dynamics. “This is a new era in Tamil Nadu politics. The 2026 elections will not see one dominant party coming to power as it has in the past. Instead, we will witness a coalition era. This is what we have been saying for some time, and Vijay is also voicing similar views. At the same time, we are seeing a decline in the strength of the Dravidian parties,” he noted.
Reflecting on the BJP’s recent successes, Annamalai pointed to the party’s strong performance in Maharashtra and Haryana. “After the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured historic victories. In Maharashtra, we made history, and in Haryana, we overcame the anti-incumbency factor. This shows that in every region—North India, Maharashtra, and even the South—people are increasingly bringing the BJP back with record-breaking wins,” he said.
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