When Annamalai on 17th March 2023 told the Tamil Nadu BJP at a state party meeting that he would quit should the party leadership partner with AIADMK, his message was that he was not in it for the compromise.
With this, Tamil Nadu BJP’s firebrand President, K Annamalai infused a new confidence in the BJP to go it alone. Of course, he had to prove himself and prove he did.
On 27th February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only endorsed Annamalai in his speech during his visit to Tamil Nadu to mark the closing ceremony of the ‘En Mann Ek Makkal’ padayatra in Tiruppur but also gave the former IPS officer a pat on the back.
Compilation of our journey in the last six months covering 234 assembly constituencies in TN during our En Mann En Makkal PadaYatra.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) February 27, 2024
The display of love & affection for our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl throughout the journey was unparalleled.
Inaugurated in Rameswaram by… pic.twitter.com/9khJnL1DKt
This public gesture from PM Modi towards K Annamalai has put a stamp on the latter’s plans for the BJP in the southernmost Indian state.
K Annamalai – an MBA, an IPS officer, and a politician
Annamalai Kuppusamy was born on 4th June 1984 in the Thottampatti village near Chinnadharapuram in Karur district into the Gounder community. He belongs to the OBC community and hails from an agricultural background; just the face that the BJP needed for a long time.
An engineering graduate and a post-graduate in management, Annamalai went on to complete his MBA in Finance from IIM Lucknow.
At one point he had aspired to be an entrepreneur but gave up that dream to pursue the bigger cause of connecting with the people.
Adding another feather to his cap, Annamalai cleared UPSC to become an IPS officer. He was appointed to the Karnataka cadre and began his service as superintendent of police in Chikkamagaluru and Udupi.
He was serving as deputy commissioner of police of Bengaluru (south) when he quit the service in September 2019.
His tenure as an IPS officer in Karnataka earned him the moniker “Singham Anna” or “the Singham of Karnataka” owing to his fearless and honest style of work.
He became known amongst the people for his no-nonsense and tough cop attitude, videos of which continue to make rounds on social media platforms. Annamalai was vocal about his fight against corruption and mentioned related incidents in his book “Stepping Beyond Khaki: Revelations of a Real-life Singham”.
Moved by the death of his colleague Madhukar Shetty, a 1999 batch IPS officer from Karnataka, Annamalai in 2018 took a trip to Kailash Mansarovar which he termed as an “eye opener as it helped me to see my priorities in life better”. In 2019, he quit the force.
On 25th August 2020, Annamalai Kuppusamy joined the BJP at party headquarters in the national capital. 3 days later, he was appointed the Karnataka BJP Vice President.
He reportedly grew closer to senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Minister CT Ravi during his tenure in Chikkamagaluru. As per reports, Annamalai was close to RSS bigwigs in Bengaluru south, when he was the DCP.
Karnataka’s ‘Singham’
Annamalai was first posted as the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Karkala sub-division of Udupi district in 2013 and later promoted to SP there in 2015.
He became known for cracking down on criminal activities in the coastal district. He was eventually named ‘Singham’ after news of him pulling up errant bike riders spread in the district.
Annamalai frequently interacted with students. In Manipal, an academic hub which receives students from across the country, he implemented rules to restrict nightlife like shutting down bars and restaurants at 11.30 pm sharp. When found loitering around after midnight, the students were identified and told to explain themselves.
Moreover, Annamalai is credited with smoothly handling a tense situation between Hindus and Muslims over Baba Budangiri in 2017 when some tombs of the holy place were reportedly targeted. Annamalai is also known for cracking down on gambling dens in the district.
Studied Islam to fight terror
In his conversation with a website, Annamalai briefly spoke about his study of Islam when he was serving in Udupi.
Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada is a hotbed of Islamist radicalisation and is reportedly the birthplace of Indian Mujahideen.
Annamalai studied the Islamic texts to “understand what led to the misinterpretation of religious texts and caused widespread radicalisation”.
He said that he studied the Quran and Hadith with the help of the religious scholars and tried to understand the philosophy.
“It helped me understand the psyche behind terror organisations like the Indian Mujahideen, SIMI and ISIS that had spread its tentacles around the Bhatkal-Kundapura region,” he said.
Resolved to promote BJP’s nationalism to make a dent in Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian politics
His academic and career trajectory will tell you that Annamalai is planning every step that he takes, even the timing of when to and when not to announce those steps.
In 2020, during an interactive session on Facebook, he said, “I am planning to enter Tamil Nadu politics soon, maybe in another two-three months. And I am planning to contest the 2021 assembly elections which will be held in April-May. I want to bring some positive changes to the system.”
Not only did he become the youngest Tamil Nadu BJP President upon his appointment in August 2020 but he is also perhaps the only politician who has made it this big in Tamil Nadu without a film background.
Moreover, his OBC and farmer background, connection with the people, leadership thinking and clear vision for the party filled the strategic void for the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
What makes Annamalai different from the rest including those within the BJP itself is his very specific vision for his state even if it meant challenging certain voices within his own party at times.
Annamalai is an outspoken follower of PM Modi. He used that image to his advantage when he voiced his dissent against allying with AIADMK for the 2024 elections.
Such a direct challenge only earned him more recognition and support from the BJP leadership. In March 2023, Annamalai reportedly said that he wanted to be aggressive like J Jayalalithaa and Kalaignar Karunanidhi.
“In the history of Tamil Nadu, no one has been criticised like me but let them continue doing that. I will not change myself; even if there are directions from Delhi, I will be myself,” he said rather boldly.
In 2021, about a year after joining the BJP, the Tamil Nadu BJP Chief led the hunger strike starting 5th August against the BJP-led Karnataka government’s decision to proceed with the Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery, which was proposed by the previous Congress government.
“The protest is not against anybody, not against any person, not against any state and not against any community. It is against the decision of the state government. That’s the whole thing. At the same time, we are also conscious of the fact that Kanadiggas live in Tamilnadu, and Tamilians live in Karnataka. So both states have a history of extending our peacefulness,” he said.
Annamalai made it known in 2023 that he is not one to succumb to threats. Speaking on Gayathri Raguramm’s resignation from the party last year, he said he has no regrets about those leaving the organisation and wished such people well.
This came after in 2022, Annamalai said that disciplinary action against the party members who are at fault will continue. This was following the BJP state unit barring Suriya Siva, the general secretary of OBC Morcha from attending party-related events after a purported audio clip of him issuing death threats and hurling sexist slurs went viral.
A proponent of Sanatan Dharma and a challenge for Dravidian politics
Annamalai’s speeches and statements have touched the very foundations of ideologies in Tamil Nadu. He has reshaped perspectives of the last man standing by explaining just how Hinduism is central to the identity of Tamil Nadu and vice versa.
He is doing this parallelly as he also challenges the missionary-driven divisive politics of the DMK.
In October 2022, in response to a controversy around the religious identity of King Rajaraja I, he said that Hinduism had existed for millennia.
He time and again called out several DMK leaders for their anti-Hindu remarks and statements insulting Hindu deities, particularly when DMK minister and CM’s son Udayanidhi Stalin called for the “eradication of Sanatan Dharma”.
Late last year, the Tamil Nadu BJP President irked Dravidian leaders saying that when BJP comes to power in the state, all statues of Periyar will be removed from near educational institutions and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) will be abolished.
The break-up with AIADMK
In 2021, the BJP managed to secure a vote share of a mere 2.6 per cent having contested the assembly elections in alliance with the AIADMK. Although it did win 4 out of the 20 seats on which it contested.
Annamalai who fought from Aravakurichi seat lost to DMK’s Elango R. He secured a vote share of 38.71 per cent with 68,553 votes, falling short of 24, 816 votes.
Thereafter, Annamalai’s intentions for the saffron party were sealed. In 2022 he announced that the party would go it alone in the local body elections.
This announcement came while the parties were still in alliance. This move was also aimed at expanding as well as reinvigorating the party base at the grassroots. Notably, the party made significant inroads in these elections.
Speaking to ANI, the former IPS officer was of the view that it was time for booth-level workers of the BJP to get their fair share of opportunity in the state.
He said, “It is difficult to maintain coalition dharma right up to the booth level. After the local body polls in nine districts, we need more seats in order to accommodate our cadre and local leaders and give them opportunities. The AIADMK has honoured our request to provide more seats for the upcoming polls, but we need to accommodate our booth-level leaders. So, we have decided to contest alone the civic elections in the state.”
Albeit far behind the DMK and AIADMK respectively, the BJP secured a third number in these polls, which is a positive sign for a party that had failed to gain any foothold in the state.
Moreover, Annamalai maintained an aggressive pitch against the AIADMK. He did not shy away from levelling charges of corruption against the BJP ally.
Annamalai also took account of the AIADMK when countering DMK’s Udayanidhi Stalin over the latter “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” remark. He alleged that Dravidian leader CN Annadurai had insulted Hinduism and apologised for the same to Forward Bloc leader late U Muthuramalinga.
Shortly after, the AIADMK called it quits paving the way for the BJP to set sail.
DMK Files – How Annamalai challenged the ruling Dravidian party head-on
Under Annamalai’s leadership, the Tamil Nadu BJP launched a series of operations to expose rampant corruption by the Stalin-led DMK government.
Audio clips were released of Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Mr PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, Udhayanidhi Stalin and Niru Sabareesan exposing their illicit earnings of Rs 30,000 crores in a year.
The BJP also targeted the DMK government for passing off the Coimbatore blast as a mere cylinder explosion.
According to the BJP leader’s calculations and estimates, the DMK leaders’ assets were “worth Rs 1.34 lakh crore”. Annamalai further intimated that the AIADMK too will not be spared in his corruption discovery.
This was followed by DMK Files 2, wherein he targeted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and accused the CM of looting crores of money, allegedly to the tune of Rs 1,30,000 crores from the people.
In DMK Files 3, Annamalai claimed that the ruling party in the state, DMK and its alliance partner, Congress purportedly collaborated to strategically decide the timing of CBI raids about the probe in 2G scam.
‘En Mann En Makkal’ padyatra
Annamalai is known for his fierce campaigning. Under his leadership, the BJP has been in the headlines in Tamil Nadu year on year.
But nothing proved his mettle as well as the ‘En Mann En Makkal‘ padyatra – a brainchild of the Tamil Nadu BJP President. It saw women, children, elderly and people across castes and communities in Tamil Nadu come out on the streets in support for the firebrand leader.
The march was launched from Rameshwaram on 28th July 2023 and concluded on 27th February 2024 in Palladam covering 234 assembly constituencies in the state.
Huge crowds accompanying the BJP leader and every town and city welcoming him with much fanfare was a testimony to the BJP’s presence being felt in the state.
On the concluding day of the yatra, Prime Minister Modi said that Annamalai had earned the confidence of the people of Tamil Nadu. A video from the event went viral where the Prime Minister was seen patting the back of Annamalai with a wide smile in what was a huge sign of endorsement and appreciation for the latter.
Projections for the BJP in Tamil Nadu so far
If projections for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are anything to go by, then the BJP under Annamalai’s leadership is set to do damage primarily to the AIADMK.
According to ChanakyaaTV, the BJP-led alliance could secure a vote share of 22 per cent whereas Times Now – ETG Research Survey has predicted a 14 per cent vote share for the saffron party in Tamil Nadu.
The India Today – C Voter survey has projected a vote share of 15 per cent for BJP-led NDA in the state.
Moreover, pollster Prashant Kishor had recently stated that the vote share of the BJP could go into double digits in the southern state – between 7 to 15 per cent.
In 2014, the BJP’s vote share was 5.5 per cent; it did not have an alliance with the AIADMK. In 2019, the BJP secured a vote share of 3.66 per cent.
The vote share projections in comparison to the BJP’s past performance show significant progress for the party.
Slow and steady wins the race
Notably, Annamalai had said that for the BJP to grow in Tamil Nadu, it needs to fight alone even if that takes time. Recently, before PM Modi’s visit, the Tamil Nadu BJP Chief said that more and more leaders of Tamil Nadu will be joining the BJP. “BJP is a growing party, BJP is an alternative party,” he told ANI.
