Annamalai Kuppusamy is a legend in Karnataka. Once popularly known as Supercop Udupi Sigham’, he managed to get into an IIM, turned down placement and turned to civil services. He is not the kind of politician a journalist can mess around with. He is sharp and witty, and every time someone tries to take him on, he uses it as an opportunity to capitalise upon.

An engineering graduate with an MBA from IIM-Lucknow, Annamalai once aspired to be an entrepreneur but shelved that dream in favour of a career in civil services to remain connected with people. And connect with people he did. Over his eight-year career, he earned the moniker “Singham Anna” on account of his policing style. ‘Singham’, which means lion, seeks to draw a parallel between him and the supercop portrayed by Ajay Devgn in the eponymous 2011 film `Singham’, and ‘Anna’ is a respectful term for brother. 

Annamalai joined the police service in 2011, and his first posting took him to Karkala in Karnataka as assistant superintendent of police. There, he spearheaded an awareness campaign against drug abuse and sale of tobacco, shutting down several illegal liquor shops. He held seminars in colleges against drug addiction, and set up complaint boxes where students could post anonymous tips about illegal activities. Before quitting police services in September 2019, he also served as the DCP in Bengaluru (South).

THE BJP PRESIDENT

Nearly 11 months after quitting the IPS service, Annamalai joined BJP in August 2020. Soon, He was made the state unit chief within a year of joining the party in July 2021. Annamalai hails from the Karur district in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu and comes from an agricultural family. His rise in political ranks is thus, spectacular.

He became the youngest president of Tamil Nadu BJP ever, replacing L Murugan, who has joined the Modi government as a minister. The 37-year-old leader is the first to rise to the position in the Tamil Nadu unit within a year of joining the party. Belonging to Karur district in the Kongu region of the state, he hails from an agricultural family and belongs to the influential Gounder community. Kongu belt in western Tamil Nadu is among the regions where the BJP has pockets of influence.

With the Saffron party’s ally AIADMK backing him, though Annamalai aggressively campaigned in Aravakurichi constituency in his home district, he lost by a margin of 24,816 votes with DMK nominee R Elango emerging victorious.

The BJP is banking on the young leader to boost the party’s standing in the Dravidian state where it has long been a minor player.

Annamalai is a great find for the BJP. He is young, dynamic, popular and, just the kind of leader the party needs to awaken people. He is working as a bridge between the BJP and the state of Tamil Nadu. Step-by-step, he is overcoming obstacles like false propaganda by local language media and Dravidian nationalism.

Annamalai is what BJP was missing in Tamil Nadu. He is quite clear about his ideology and what he wants. He openly declares, “I don’t want to be like a typical Tamil politician. I’m clear. If you fit me into a Dravidian politician mould, I’ll be happy that I don’t fit into that mould.” Annamalai said, “I don’t want to fit into the typical Dravidian political mould. I stay away from that. So I’ll be happy if people pass that as genuine criticism. I’ll take that as an appreciation.”

Annamalai says he has joined the BJP as “a loyal foot-soldier” and will work to “bring the party’s nationalist spirit to Tamil Nadu”.

“I come from a land which is historic and, in this beautiful Thirukkural, it talks about the qualities a king and an administrator should have. It talks about fearlessness, it talks about courage, it talks about (having a) giving spirit, it talks about knowledge. I see all four of these in our Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and all the eminent people of the BJP,” he says. 

“I have decided that I should strengthen the movement that the party stands for.. to bring that nationalist spirit to the state of Tamil Nadu. I will try my best as a loyal soldier of the party to dedicate my time and energy to further this cause across Tamil Nadu and India… It is a privilege to join the BJP,” he adds.

A FAN MOMENT

Annamalai’s colleagues speak of him in glowing terms, with IPS officer Rahul Kumar Shahpurwad suggesting that he courts a star’s image among colleagues. When Annamalai announced his resignation, Shahpurwad said, “several of my colleagues began taking selfies with him. It was like a fan moment for all of us”.

He said he realised the level of influence Annamalai has when a complainant in his jurisdiction — Hassan — specifically called for him to lead the case. Annamalai was then the superintendent of police in the neighbouring district of Chikkamagalur.

“I felt bad as it was my jurisdiction, but I also had admiration for Annamalai sir, whose influence went beyond his jurisdiction,” Shahpurwad said.

When he was transferred to Bengaluru along with Annamalai and four others, he said, the headlines read, “Annamali and five others transferred”. “That’s how he is,” he added.

Annamalai’s seniors praise him as well. S. Murugan,  a 1997 batch IPS officer and currently the Inspector General (IG) of Police and Joint Director, Vigilance and Anti-corruption, Chennai. said Annamalai is known for “three Hs — honesty, humaneness and hard work”.

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