<p>Chennai: Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has decided to take a three-month break from active politics to attend a fellowship on leadership in London offered by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office. </p><p>Annamalai’s application for the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence programme has been accepted and he has “made up his mind” to attend the program, sources in the know told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>Beginning mid-September, the three-month long fellowship will go on till December. The former Karnataka-cadre IPS office is believed to have conveyed his intention to pursue the program, which is considered prestigious, to the BJP high command. </p>.DMK says Tamil Nadu first state to unmask NEET, nation now realises test 'fraudulent'.<p>“He has sought a three-month break from active politics from the BJP high command. He wants to attend the fellowship and he is very clear about it,” a source in the know told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>However, it is not yet clear if the BJP has accepted Annamalai’s application for leave. </p><p>If he is on a three-month break, the BJP has to decide whether it will allow him to continue as the state chief by appointing an acting president or find a replacement. </p><p>The source added that Annamalai had applied for the fellowship earlier this year and had attended an interview in this regard in Delhi in May. </p><p>Annamalai applied for the fellowship as the founder of ‘We The Leaders’ foundation, an NGO he launched in 2019 after he sought voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service. </p>.Tamil Nadu government shuffles senior IAS officials.<p>Annamalai’s rise in the BJP has been meteoric after his joining the party in August 2020. Within a year, the blue-eyed boy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was made the state unit chief and was given a free hand in running the party.</p><p>His outspoken nature and confrontational attitude made him a polarising figure in Tamil Nadu since he became BJP state unit chief in 2021.</p><p>In the largely bipolar state of Tamil Nadu, Annamalai, though mocked for his seemingly taller claims of BJP crossing a 20 per cent vote share in the 2024 polls, brought the party into the spotlight through relentless engagement. </p><p>Though the BJP scored over 11 per cent votes in the 2024 elections without an alliance with DMK or AIADMK, Annamalai himself lost from Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat. </p>
<p>Chennai: Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has decided to take a three-month break from active politics to attend a fellowship on leadership in London offered by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office. </p><p>Annamalai’s application for the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence programme has been accepted and he has “made up his mind” to attend the program, sources in the know told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>Beginning mid-September, the three-month long fellowship will go on till December. The former Karnataka-cadre IPS office is believed to have conveyed his intention to pursue the program, which is considered prestigious, to the BJP high command. </p>.DMK says Tamil Nadu first state to unmask NEET, nation now realises test 'fraudulent'.<p>“He has sought a three-month break from active politics from the BJP high command. He wants to attend the fellowship and he is very clear about it,” a source in the know told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>However, it is not yet clear if the BJP has accepted Annamalai’s application for leave. </p><p>If he is on a three-month break, the BJP has to decide whether it will allow him to continue as the state chief by appointing an acting president or find a replacement. </p><p>The source added that Annamalai had applied for the fellowship earlier this year and had attended an interview in this regard in Delhi in May. </p><p>Annamalai applied for the fellowship as the founder of ‘We The Leaders’ foundation, an NGO he launched in 2019 after he sought voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service. </p>.Tamil Nadu government shuffles senior IAS officials.<p>Annamalai’s rise in the BJP has been meteoric after his joining the party in August 2020. Within a year, the blue-eyed boy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was made the state unit chief and was given a free hand in running the party.</p><p>His outspoken nature and confrontational attitude made him a polarising figure in Tamil Nadu since he became BJP state unit chief in 2021.</p><p>In the largely bipolar state of Tamil Nadu, Annamalai, though mocked for his seemingly taller claims of BJP crossing a 20 per cent vote share in the 2024 polls, brought the party into the spotlight through relentless engagement. </p><p>Though the BJP scored over 11 per cent votes in the 2024 elections without an alliance with DMK or AIADMK, Annamalai himself lost from Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat. </p>