Annamalai begins roadshow to Chennai ahead of taking oath as BJP state president

Former IPS officer K Annamalai is all set to take oath as the Tamil Nadu BJP unit president on Friday, July 16 at the party headquarters Kamalalayam in Chennai’s T Nagar. As a first step towards taking up the leadership role, he started a roadshow from Coimbatore to Chennai on Wednesday, July 14. Enroute, he will meet party leaders and attend cadre celebrations in a show of strength.

Several party members donning masks of BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and Annamalai welcomed the newly appointed president with flowers in Coimbatore. Later, talking to reporters from the city’s Thandumariamman temple, Annamalai said, “I see my leadership as an opportunity to unite everyone. BJP is not an individual’s party but everything is based on combined effort. So, age is not a factor in this. On the one hand, we have experienced people like Ela Ganeshan and Narendran in Hosur. If we all are going to travel together, then age is not a factor.”

Further, he said, “I’m travelling from Coimbatore by road to take oath in Chennai’s Kamalayalam. We’re following all COVID-19 protocols and meeting BJP functionaries on the way. I hope to make all efforts for BJP’s growth in the state.”

Annamalai will travel via Tiruchy, Perambalur, Villupuram, Tindivanam, Mathuranthagam, Chengalpattu, Guduvancheri, Tambaram, Pallavaram, Alandur, Saidapet to reach Kamalayalam in the next two days.

Annamalai is an engineering graduate with an MBA from IIM Lucknow. An IPS officer from the 2011 Karnataka cadre, he earned fame as ‘Singham Anna’ due to his policing style. However, he quit as an IPS officer and joined the BJP last year. He also launched a foundation to help students. Recently, after Tamil Nadu unit president L Murugan was inducted as a Minister of State in the Union government, BJP president JP Nadda appointed Annamalai in his place. The BJP is banking on the trusted IPS officer to establish the party and gain trust in the Dravidian state.