Chennai: When Okay. Annamalai, now Tamil Nadu BJP chief, resigned from the IPS in 2019, he had a transparent thought of what he needed to do.
“I simply need to take a while out and benefit from the small issues of life I’ve missed out,” the 2011-batch officer wrote in his resignation letter.
“…Be a great father to my son, get into farming again dwelling, and see whether or not my sheep nonetheless take heed to me as I’m no extra a cop now.”
However life, as they are saying, had different plans.
Annamalai ended up in a subject he as soon as despised, politics. Then — as he was appointed BJP state chief in 2021 — he arrange base in Chennai, practically 400 km from his dwelling district of Karur.
Talking to ThePrint, Annamalai, 38, mentioned the journey thus far has been about “wrestle”.
“Politics is compelled on me,” he added. I resigned for one thing else.”
In line with him, the suggestion to hitch politics appeared acceptable to him for one purpose and one purpose alone — Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “If Modi ji was not in Indian politics, I may give it to you in writing that I’d not have been right here, however could also be a farmer, after resigning from IPS.”
Dubbed “Singham” throughout his tenure within the IPS, Annamalai now juggles his function within the Tamil Nadu BJP with one other accountability assigned to him earlier this month in poll-bound Karnataka.
“I’ve to be right here in Tamil Nadu on floor to make sure no narrative towards the BJP is about,” he mentioned. “Then I’ve to do justice to Karnataka the place I’m the co-incharge (for the meeting polls). Then there may be the muse (We The Leaders, which he based), for which I put aside three days a month, and farming one-and-a-half day a month.”
His dream to benefit from the small issues, in the meantime, nonetheless stays out of attain.
“For being right here, an enormous worth needs to be paid — lack of privateness and loopy journey schedule.”
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‘UP modified me as an individual’
Annamalai, a Karnataka-cadre IPS officer, was the deputy commissioner of police, Bengaluru South, when he resigned in 2019. An engineering graduate with an MBA from IIM-Lucknow, Annamalai mentioned Uttar Pradesh “modified me as an individual”.
“I by no means aspired to be a politician. I went to Uttar Pradesh (UP) to do my MBA, UP modified me as an individual. I turned an IPS officer,” he added.
He mentioned he left the IPS to do one thing “that may maximise my giving again to the folks”.
“The muse was an choice. However, on the finish of the day, folks do affect you and a number of other choices are thrown at you.”
A fiercely personal particular person, Annamalai, who now has two younger kids, likes to maintain his household away from the general public eye. A few of his most profound moments of pleasure, he mentioned, are when he’s left alone with a e book.
Speaking in regards to the struggles of life as a politician, he mentioned one feels “your entire life is unsettled”.
“You don’t sleep in a mattress day by day. You meet your kids at odd occasions. By the point you get up, they go to highschool. By the point you come again, they’re asleep. These are all massive discomforts.”
Annamalai mentioned the “solely factor sure in my life is my household, politics is unsure”.
“Love for Modi ji and the nation retains me going. By way of all of the discomfort, I maintain saying there can be a silver lining someplace.”
‘Insurgent to shake the system’
A primary-generation politician, Annamalai described Indian politics as “very poisonous”.
“For a first-timer like me, all weapons are on me,” he mentioned, including that there “is not any area in politics for a first-timer”.
“For some folks, the background is about. They’ve been a part of a system for 35 years. The management is round you. You’re a single chief within the occasion. Take DMK, AIADMK, TNCC, Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK, they’re all groomed to the function for 20-25 years. However Annamalai will not be like that. Simply two years into politics, struggling.”
Nonetheless, he mentioned, the identical factor helps him forge a reference to many individuals.
“Many individuals see themselves in me. A primary-generation politician coming from a village. Moving into politics, attempting and struggling.”
He outlined himself as a insurgent who has come into the political enviornment to shake up the prevailing system. “I’m attempting to convey one thing new to the folks. Recent voice issues.”
Within the time that Annamalai has been in politics, he has been within the highlight for a number of points. Certainly one of these pertains to the watch he wears, French watchmaker Bell & Ross’s BR 03 Rafale, which has drawn criticism from members of the ruling DMK.
Requested in regards to the watch, he replied, “I’m carrying it even now.”
He added, “For the primary time in Indian historical past, for an individual who has not taken authorities cash, folks query my bills… that reveals how a lot Annamalai issues to TN politics.”
In April, when he plans to undertake a padyatra throughout Tamil Nadu, Annamalai mentioned he can be disclosing all of the costly commodities he owns, together with the invoice for the watch. “On the identical day, a tsunami will occur in TN. I will even launch particulars of property value Rs 2.5 lakh crore owned by DMK ministers, with their title, benami title, and many others.”
About future plans, Annamalai mentioned he was open to taking on any function that has been given to him by the occasion excessive command. He added, “In the event you personally ask me, I need to be in Tamil Nadu on a regular basis, serving right here.”
On a query about posters calling him the subsequent CM, Annamalai mentioned, “With place comes fame and with that comes reputation and with that comes unfavourable criticism. That is all maya, as per Hindu mythology,” he mentioned. “Positions are given by the occasion. Regardless of the occasion desires me to do I’ll do this.”
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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