Annamalai the eye of storm as AIADMK snaps ties with BJP in Tamil Nadu

BJP commended Annamalai’s leadership in Tamil Nadu, emphasising the party’s current presence in the state.

The divorce of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) from the the Nationalist Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu can be attributed to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai.

The AIADMK unanimously passed a resolution calling for an exit from the NDA following remarks made by Annamalai on Dravidian icon CN Annadurai.

The AIADMK accused Annamalai of defaming both its current and past leaders, and demanded an apology from him, as well as his resignation as the state chief.

Read: BJP’s southern gameplan defies logic as it loses a long-time ally in Tamil Nadu

The BJP, however, remained steadfast in support for its poster boy, notwithstanding the political turmoil erupting in the state. He is leading the ‘En Mann, En Makkal’ (our people, our land) march in Coimbatore to highlight the 29 months of the DMK’s alleged misrule.

Who is Annamalai?

The 39-year-old leader is a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the 2011 batch, who was appointed as the Tamil Nadu state unit chief by the BJP on July 8, 2021.

An officer of the Karnataka cadre, Annamalai had served as the police superintendent of Chikkamagaluru and Udupi districts. Before resigning from the police service in September 2019, he had also worked as the Deputy Police Commissioner in Bengaluru (South).

Annamalai quickly climbed the ranks within the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP, achieving the top seat within a year of joining the party in August 2020.

During the 2021 state legislative assembly elections, he ran as a candidate supported by both the BJP and the AIADMK in the Aravakurichi Assembly segment of the Karur district. However, he faced defeat against DMK candidate R Elango, who secured victory with a margin of 24,816 votes.

The poster-boy image

Annamalai, formerly called the ‘Singham’ in Karnataka has emerged as a prominent leader in the Tamil Nadu Opposition. In a state traditionally divided between the AIADMK and DMK, his vocal opposition to the DMK has attracted considerable attention and support.

He went from discussing Dravidian ideology to launching anti-corruption campaigns with evidence against the incumbent government. He also said the Coimbatore gas cylinder blast was an act of terrorism and criticised the Tamil Nadu Police for their investigation, which caught people’s attention.

After taking charge of the party in Tamil Nadu, Annamalai had set clear goals. He wanted to strengthen the BJP at the grassroots level, make the party more visible, increase its presence in the Assembly and create a younger leadership in the state.

Annamalai's rallies and marches in the state attracted people in multitudes, helping the BJP secure a stronger presence in an area where it wasn't well-known before.

The BJP had also assigned him the responsibility of leading the party’s campaign in Karnataka due to his previous experience as a police officer. However, this decision did not sit well with many BJP leaders in the state.

Party support

BJP leader CT Ravi commended Annamalai’s leadership in Tamil Nadu, emphasising the party’s presence in the state. Ravi, in his statement over the breakup of alliance, said that the BJP has eight months ahead and no one knows what will unfold during this time.

In June 2023, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh predicted that Annamalai could become a national leader. While addressing a public gathering in Tambaram, Chengalpattu district, Singh said that no amount of praise for Annamalai’s work under the leadership of PM Narednra Modi could do justice.