K Annamalai, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu, clarified that he has opted not to contest in the upcoming assembly elections. He stated that he had communicated this decision to the party's core committee in writing. Annamalai emphasized that he was not denied a ticket, but rather chose to focus on campaigning for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates. This clarification comes after the BJP released its candidate list on Friday, which did not include Annamalai. Union minister Piyush Goyal supported Annamalai's decision, highlighting his commitment to campaigning throughout the state rather than contesting from a single constituency. Annamalai expressed gratitude to the BJP leadership for respecting his choice and affirmed his dedication to supporting the NDA's goal of winning 210 seats in the elections. Tamil Nadu will hold its assembly elections on April 23, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.