Meet ex-IPS officer, ‘Singham’ Annamalai, BJP’s new chief in Tamil Nadu!
09 Jul 2021 10:23:02
Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer K Annamalai, 37, was appointed on Thursday as the new BJP chief of Tamil Nadu, succeeding L Murugan who was inducted into the Union cabinet. Murugan has been appointed as Union minister of state for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, and information and broadcasting.
His elevation is seen as a reward for his work as party chief in the southern state where the BJP won four seats in the recently held assembly elections. The last time the BJP had four lawmakers in the assembly was in 2001 when the party fought in alliance with the DMK. In the next three elections in 2006, 2011 and 2016, the BJP couldn’t win a single seat.
To be sure, neither Murugan nor Annamalai won the seats that they contested from; Murugan from Dharmapuram and Annamalai from Aravakurichi. The BJP has the convention of “one rank, one post”, prompting the party leadership to name a new state unit chief after Murugan took oath on Wednesday.
Annamalai had launched a foundation to help students after quitting the Indian Police Service (IPS) and joined the BJP last year. 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.
.
.