Annamalai popularity tested in neighbours

CHENNAI: Taking a cue from BJP stalwarts like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, BJP state president K Annamalai is actively campaigning across south India. The Coimbatore Lok Sabha candidate is now on a tour to Kerala and Karnataka raising eyebrows among BJP functionaries. The question that awaits answer is whether the former IPS officer is an influential figure beyond Tamil Nadu or not, for which the karyakartas have to wait till June 4, when the poll results are out.

Annamalai, after taking charge as BJP state president, has been in the limelight through his frequent media interactions, controversial statements, yatra and has been more active on social media. According to sources, the BJP high command had asked Annamalai to hit the campaign trail in Kerala and Karnataka.

Speaking to DT Next, Ra Arjuna Murthy, a senior leader of BJP said the saffron party’s high command has utilised Annamalai’s popularity in favour of them in the neighbouring states.

“People who understand the landscape, culture, language and the issues of the people can only do election campaigns. Annamalai, a former IPS officer who is fondly called as ‘Singham’ in Karnataka, is a popular figure among Kannadigas and communicate in Kannada wooing voters in favour of BJP,” Arjuna Murthy said.

“As the places like Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad in Kerala are located very close to Tamil Nadu, Annamalai is familiar among the Malayalis. It is because of his popularity that the party high command is engaging him in election campaigning in neighbouring states,” he said, adding that the Congress party did not invite Udhayanidhi or any other DMK leaders, who spoke controversially about Sanatana Dharma, to campaign in other states considering the vote bank politics.

Echoing this, a trusted loyalist of Annamalai told this newspaper that Annamalai is now a star campaigner in south India and enjoys the blessings of party’s top brass.

“In BJP, previous state presidents and present Union Minister L Murugan have worked in other states as election-in-charges. Annamalai worked as a co-in-charge for Karnataka during its Assembly elections last May and this is nothing new,” another BJP leader said, preferring anonymity.

SP Lakshmanan, political commentator said that Annamalai’s popularity will not create any impact in other states. “It has been a long-standing practice for national parties to use Tamil leaders to campaign in Tamil-dominated areas in other states. Similarly, Annamalai is campaigning in Kerala and Karnataka. But, Annamalai’s popularity is not going impact the voters in neighbouring states. At the same time, BJP high-command gives more importance to Annamalai than other leaders,” he opined.

Nearly, 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Udupi, Hassan and 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala are to face elections on April 26.

So far, Annamalai has campaigned for the BJP candidates in Palakkad, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore, Udupi and Bengaluru.