The state cabinet should have 50% women ministers, says Annamalai

‘We The Leaders’ founder K. Annamalai presents the Kamarajar Award to one of the recipients at an event in Chennai on Friday. | Photo credit: V. UMESH KUMAR

Former BJP president K. Annamalai, who founded the ‘We The Leaders’ movement, on Friday called for women to form half of the state cabinet. He was speaking at an event where he presented the Kamarajar awards to 10 women from across Tamil Nadu at the Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai.

While appreciating the TVK-led government for providing more women to the cabinet than previous governments, Mr. Annamalai said that when his movement came to power, he sought to have a cabinet with 50% women.

Sister Rosily (from Kanniyakumari District), Founder-Administrator of Alert Kala Balasundaram (Coimbatore District), Mountaineer Muthamilselvi Narayanan (Virudhunagar District), Information Technology Professional, Organic Farmer Jeevitha (Cuddalore District), Artist Villupattu M. Madhavi (Tenenkas District. (Tirunelveli District), Student-Palymra Tree Climber P. Harris Karishma (Villupuram District), Classical Carnatic violinist CS Chinmayi (Chennai), yoga instructor R. Punitha Valli (Chennai) and aerospace engineering student Dhaanvi Karthikeyan (Chennai).

P. Krishnaveni, former president of Thalaiyuthu panchayat in Tirunelveli district from the Dalit community who was brutally attacked by a gang, has been selected to receive the WTL Kamarajar Award. However, since she could not receive it in person, she sent a recorded video message.

During his speech, Mr. Annamalai said that initially there was only one woman in the cabinet and gradually it increased. “There should be at least 17-18 women in the state cabinet,” he said, adding that an all-women team is to be trained at his Kalam center on October 15. Mr. Annamalai emphasized the importance of training women for politics.

Published – 02 Oct 2026 21:17 IST