Former BJP Madurai district president M. Maha Suseendran along with his supporters informed that he was to join hands with former BJP State president K. Annamalai in his new movement ‘We The Leaders.’Speaking to press here on Wednesday, he said, within a few days of the announcement, more than 17 lakh people have enrolled in the movement.“This clearly demonstrates the trust that the people of Tamil Nadu place in Mr. Annamalai who dedicated everything to build the BJP in the State,” he added.He further noted that while the party experienced unprecedented growth under this leader’s guidance, the subsequent leadership changes during the elections dragged it down to the brink of political extinction.“The inefficient State leadership chose to cater to the wishes of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami rather than focusing on the party, which has created widespread disillusionment among the cadre,” Mr. Maha Suseendran stated.Accusing BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran of being inaccessible to local party leadership, he claimed that Mr. Nagenthran had isolated himself from the party cadre and was available only for a select few.He pointed out that their initial shock over Mr. Annamalai’s removal from State leadership only deepened when the NDA seat-sharing agreement left the BJP with just 27 seats.Further, he claimed that even within those 27 allocated seats, candidate selection was heavily marred by favoritism, completely disregarding the hard work of the karyakartas who had poured their blood and sweat into building the party.“While we firmly believe in the ideology and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which kept us dedicated to the party’s philosophy rather than positions of power, our faith was shaken when the leadership began leaning toward the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu,” he noted.Mr. Annamalai, who transitioned from a career in law enforcement to politics, has instilled immense confidence in the party cadre.Frustrated former members have rejoined the movement en masse. “We expect to add 50 lakh more members within a few months, which alone will be enough to prepare the party for the forthcoming elections,” he stated. Published - June 10, 2026 07:43 pm IST