K. Annamalai, former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu, has formally resigned from the party. The BJP confirmed on Friday that national president Nitin Naveen accepted his resignation from primary membership, ending days of speculation. Annamalai, 41, had held several meetings in Delhi with senior leaders including Amit Shah and B.L. Santosh before his resignation was accepted.

In his June 2 resignation letter, Annamalai cited 18 months of disagreements with the party’s central leadership over Tamil Nadu’s political strategy and future. He said his vision for the state differed from that of the leadership and that it was time to rethink his political purpose. Following his exit, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said the party would not be affected, while Andhra Pradesh BJP chief P.V.N. Madhav called the departure a small setback.

Annamalai later announced plans to launch a new political movement that will contest the next Tamil Nadu assembly elections, signaling a potential shift in the state’s political landscape.