Former Karnataka cadre IPS officer K Annamalai joined the BJP at the party’s national headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao and Tamil Nadu unit chief L Murugan.
Party sources said Mr. Annamalai would contest polls on the party ticket in the coming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
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Mr. Annamalai quoted from classic Tamil language text Thirukkural as he joined the party, enumerating in Tamil the qualities needed in a leader. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi embodied all these desired virtues. He said he wanted to foster “nationalist” feelings in his political work in Tamil Nadu. He declared that his future plans in politics depended on what the party decided.
Mr. Annamalai, who quit after nine years of service, had been known as a strict and responsive officer, earning the title, “Singham of Udupi."
Mr. Annamalai had resigned from service announcing that he wanted to train young leaders at the grassroots level. Back then he had refuted speculation that he would join the BJP.
A mechanical engineering and an MBA graduate, Mr. Annamalai cleared civil service and joined the police force in Karnataka in 2011. His first stint was as additional SP, Karkala, for a few months before he was promoted SP, Udupi. During his stint as SP, he earned the reputation of being a tough officer for taking up measures to resolve students' issues, communal problems and criminal activities.
In 2018, Mr. Annamalai was transferred as SP, Ramanagara district. He was transferred to Bengaluru soon after the B.S. Yediyurappa-led BJP government took over, to head Bengaluru South division where he served till May 2019 before he resigned.
Soon after resigning, he had said he wanted to serve people and correct inefficiencies in the system.
"I am taking a break from directly reporting to the government to serve the people and motivate and help them to be leaders at the grass root level," he had said while launching "To be leaders foundation" at his home town Karur in Tamil Nadu a few months ago.
The BJP in Tamil Nadu fought the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the ruling AIADMK but plans for an alliance for the Assembly polls are not clear yet. The BJP has struggled to find a foothold in the State although both the DMK and the AIADMK have been alliance partners in Delhi in the past. The party is hoping Mr Annamalai’s professional reputation and his choice of the BJP may help attract support.
