Chennai: Weeks after he resigned from the BJP, K. Annamalai has made his first significant move in Tamil Nadu, presenting a five-year roadmap to tackle what he calls Tamil Nadu’s growing drug abuse crisis, a major campaign theme for parties during the recently concluded assembly polls.
The former Tamil Nadu BJP chief unveiled a detailed policy paper titled “Drug-Free Tamil Nadu” under his We The Leaders (WTL) Foundation.
According to the academic paper “The Myth of a Drug-Free Tamil Nadu” quoted in Annamalai’s document, 90 percent of the 47 respondents said there is a high to very high degree of prevalence of drug abuse in Tamil Nadu.
The report also expressed concern over alcohol consumption in Tamil Nadu, noting the percentage of the population consuming liquor rose from 14.2 percent according to earlier surveys to 23.7 percent as per the National Family Health Survey 2023-24.
Annamalai, releasing the policy paper in a post on social media, said, “Narcotics are dangerously infiltrating TN, threatening our youth and our collective future. To combat this crisis, WTL (We The Leaders) Foundation has prepared a policy paper for a Drug-Free Tamil Nadu.”
By releasing this document within weeks of quitting the BJP in early June citing disagreements with leadership on state strategy, Annamalai seeks to position himself as a proactive, solutions-oriented leader outside the constraints of a national party.
In the 2026 Assembly elections, the rising drug usage among youngsters was one of the most prominent issues. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam made drug control one of its main campaign themes in the elections, blaming the then-incumbent DMK for a “drugs culture” that, the Vijay-led party said was contributing to crime. In its manifesto and youth blueprint, the TVK promised a drug-free state.
However, not long after winning the elections, the TVK found itself facing attacks directed at it over the issue after an old social media video purportedly showed Human Resources Management Minister D. Sarath Kumar allegedly crushing what looks like a white powdery substance on a smartphone screen with an ATM/debit card, with a Rs 500 note kept nearby.
The two-year-old clip was purportedly recorded at an IPL match at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Opposition parties, including the BJP and the DMK, interpreted this as possible narcotics use, and questioned the TVK government’s credibility on its “drug-free Tamil Nadu” promises.
Annamalai and the BJP also made the issue a key campaign plank, with the former attacking the DMK over alleged law-and-order failures. The narrative has continued beyond the election, as the TVK government comes under scrutiny over the issue.
The Annamalai policy paper elaborates on the crisis at hand and also explores the best practices worldwide in the fight against drugs. “This policy paper also outlines a definitive 5-year roadmap focused on rigorous enforcement, prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration to kill the demand for drugs in our state entirely,” he explained.
The policy paper notes that what was once confined to isolated pockets has spread into schools, colleges, workplaces, and communities across social strata, leading to broken families, lost productivity, interrupted education, and rising crime. Meanwhile, respondents rated government-run rehabilitation and de-addiction facilities as only moderately effective, expressing low confidence in official claims of control and calling for stronger enforcement, better follow-up care, and improved infrastructure.
Data cited in the policy paper highlight issues, including significant seizures of cannabis, synthetic drugs, and cocaine in recent years.
Tamil Nadu accounted for a significant share of the national total in several categories, including a staggering 83.24 percent of India’s cocaine seizures in 2021, with 303 kg out of 364 kg seized nationwide, and 43.66 percent of the country’s synthetic drug blot seizures in 2024. Cannabis seizures in the state also remained substantial, reaching 22,097 kg in 2021 and 19,968 kg in 2025 (up to November).
The policy paper cites NCRB data that capture the shift towards synthetic drugs, with seizures jumping nearly six-fold nationally from 2,217 kg in 2020 to 12,084 kg in 2024. Annamalai’s policy paper proposes strategic changes and demonstrates governance vision by offering a practical, evidence-based five-year plan (2026–2031).
The plan discussed four measures of rigorous enforcement, including technology-driven intelligence, AI analysis, and asset confiscation, prevention through education and the White Band Movement of public pledges, rehabilitation through Integrated Drug Rehabilitation Centres, and community ownership.
Political observers see this as Annamalai’s bid to stay relevant and build credibility as a policy thinker and anti-incumbency voice, potentially pressuring the TVK government while consolidating his base.
“After quitting BJP, Annamalai is making attempts to raise contemporary issues to gain some momentum and stay relevant among the public. There is still a lot of time for him to start his independent electoral journey. It is unclear if such moves can get him a reaction, but it is just the beginning,” said political analyst Sunil Kumar.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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