Ex-IPS officer Annamalai sweats it out in Aravakurichi

He enjoyed the reputation of being a no-nonsense IPS officer for a decade in Karnataka, and now K Annamalai is trying to prove his mettle in the rough and tumble of Tamil Nadu politics.

The Karnataka-cadre former IPS officer, who earned the sobriquet Singham for his flamboyant style of functioning, faces a tough challenge as he aspires to be the representative of his native Aravakurichi constituency in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

After resigning from service, Annamalai settled in his native district of Karur in western Tamil Nadu and launched a foundation to help students in rural areas before joining the BJP in August 2020. The battle is tough for Annamalai as the BJP does not have any base in the constituency and he is entirely dependent on the AIADMK, the senior alliance partner, to romp home from here.

Other alliance parties like the PMK, and the TMMK are also influential in some pockets in the constituency, which has a sizeable Muslim population.

Also read: Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls: Key candidates and battlegrounds

Besides his own reputation as “honest and no nonsense” police officer during his decade-long career in the force and his “modest” beginnings, Annamalai, who belongs to the dominant Gounder community, is also banking on the caste votes. In his campaign, Annamalai also says it would be easy for him to develop the constituency since the BJP is ruling at the Centre.

Not just local party workers, but “volunteers” from Karnataka have flocked to the constituency to work for Annamalai. They are split in groups, and canvass for votes by distributing pamphlets and narrating incidents linked to the former police officer to the electorate.

“I came here to campaign for Annamalai. I feel he is a good soul, and he should win. I meet people and tell them to vote for Annamalai in my broken Tamil,” Puneeth, who came from Bengaluru, told DH.

Also read: BJP gives ticket to ex-IPS officer Annamalai; Vanathi to face-off with Kamal Haasan

The Opposition is quite strong in this backward constituency – drinking water and water for irrigation are the two major issues – and the DMK has fielded R Elango, also a Gounder. Other candidates in the fray are Thangavel P S N (Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam), Mohammed Haneef Shahil K S (Makkal Needhi Maiam), and Anitha Parveen M (Naam Tamizhar Katchi).

A dry and arid constituency, Aravakurichi is beset with water woes and unemployment that forces hundreds to migrate to nearby towns and cities.

"All that we need is water. If we have clean drinking water and water for irrigation all through the year, we will flourish. Once our fields get irrigated, we do not have to depend on anyone. Water is the most important need of this constituency," Govindasamy, a farmer, told DH.

Besides its traditional party votes, the DMK alliance is hoping that the Muslims consolidate behind the party to win the seat yet again, especially when the BJP is contesting as part of the ruling combine.

Political observers say it is the 35,000-odd Muslim votes in Pallapatti area in Aravakurichi that usually decides the victory of a candidate. Though the BJP has also reached out to the minority community, it is also attempting at Hindu consolidation in the garb of seeking votes for "our man" Annamalai. The local jamaat had also opposed Annamalai's visit to the Muslim-dominated areas.

“I don't want to play communal politics, and I have reached out to my the people in Pallapatti and have plans to develop their areas too. Employment and water are the two major issues and I have devised a plan to address the problems,” Annamalai told DH.

Aravakurichi has had a chequered poll history as it was the first constituency in the state where elections were rescinded in 2016 on allegations of rampant use of money power. V Senthil Balaji, then AIADMK candidate who won the polls held months later, is now the sitting MLA after he got his mandate renewed in 2019 by-polls on DMK ticket.

The 'cash for votes' also figures prominently in Annamalai's campaign as he vows to “reclaim the good name” of the constituency if he is elected as its legislators.

Both Senthil Balaji and his predecessor K C Palanishamy, also from DMK, do not belong to Aravakurichi and Annamalai is harping on to this to project him as the “son of the soil” and drive home his point that they should elect someone who will stay with them and not “run away” after results are declared.

Arivazhagan, who runs a tea stall on the Karur-Madurai Highway, spoke highly of Annamalai saying such people should hold positions like MLA. However, he was not sure of Annamalai's chances this time, because of his party which is not popular in the area.

“He is very simple, and he is a good-hearted man, for what we see and hear. But I would have said he will win if he had contested either as a AIADMK or a DMK candidate. He would have won for sure. Now, we will have to wait for May 2,” he told DH.