How debutant K Annamalai can enable BJP’s re-entry in Tamil Nadu

On Wednesday the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP candidate for Tamil Nadursquos Coimbatore constituency K Annamalai filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 ldquoBJP is confident of winning more than 400 seats this year at the Centre and that will include the representative from Coimbatorerdquo Annamalai said while speaking to the media after submitting his election papersldquoThe DMK and the AIADMK have joined hands to fight the BJP but our fight is against those stopping Coimbatorersquos development or selling ganjardquo ldquoWe donrsquot talk about minorities or majority here Coimbatore has the risk of being targeted by fundamentalists and extremists and the State and Central governments should protect all the people hererdquo Annamalai said in his typical fiery styleThe 38yearold K Annamalai is one such leader who swiftly rose through BJP ranks and became the perfect fit for the party to foray into Tamil Nadu In the state which sends 39 parliamentarians to Lok Sabha the BJP has none For the party to achieve its goal of winning over 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls the electoral gains in the southern states play a major roleThe BJP has a strong hold on the Hindi heartland however it has repeatedly failed to make any significant mark in southern India PM Narendra Modi has visited Tamil Nadu at least seven times in 2024 so far Even after the election schedule was announced Modi chose Coimbatore for the first campaign rallyPM Modirsquos frequent visits to the state highlight the partyrsquos spirited cadre base led by K Annamalai is wellpositioned and the BJP leadershiprsquos belief in its lsquoSinghamrsquo leader Annamalai to ensure its footholding in Tamil NadulsquoSingham Annarsquo to BJPrsquos prominent leaderAnnamalai is an interesting personality His journey has been remarkable transitioning from a tough police officer where he earned the moniker lsquoSingham Annarsquo to becoming a firebrand politician He hails from a simple agricultural family in the Karur district studied mechanical engineering at a premier institute in Coimbatore and MBA from IIMLucknow Annamalai cracked the UPSC and became an IPS of the 2011 batch in the Karnataka cadreAlso Read Can BJP achieve its 370plus seats target in 2024 Lok Sabha pollsIn his eightyear career Annamalai gained a reputation as a tough cop leading undercover crackdowns on gutka sales campaigning against drug abuse and several other actions as an IPS However he quit the force in 2019 resigning as the Deputy Commissioner of BengaluruIn 2020 he joined the BJP and in no time he climbed ranks with sole focus on increasing the partyrsquos footprints in the state He became the youngest BJP state president Though Annamalai lacks electoral victories his fierce confrontational approach and the boost he has given to the BJP on the ground have earned him accolades and followings from youngstersAnnamalais relentless efforts to expand the BJPs influence in Tamil Nadu have been evident through initiatives like his extensive En Mann En Makkal padayatra which covered all 234 constituencies of the state This grassroots approach has garnered widespread supportThe fact that despite losing the assembly elections of 2021 he has been nominated for the Lok Sabha from Coimbatore constituency emphasizes the BJPrsquos strong backing for the young leaderWhy the Coimbatore constituency is crucial for the BJPWinning the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat would mean a reentry of the BJP in Tamil Nadu The BJPs association with Coimbatore dates back to 1998 when the city witnessed 12 bombings killing 58 people and injuring over 200 The attacks took place during BJP veteran and then deputy prime minister LK Advanirsquos visit to the city and allegedly the blasts were targeting the election meeting Advani was scheduled to attend PM Modi during his recent visit to Coimbatore ensured to pay homage to the deceasedNotably the BJP had won the Coimbatore seat in 1998 and 1999 The communal sensitivity helped the BJP garner the Hindu vote bank However since then the BJP could not make any significant electoral gain in the state or rather southern IndiaTamil Nadu politics has always been dominated by the two major Dravidian parties DMK and the AIADMK However since K Annamalai joined the BJP he has left no stone unturned to activate the dormant BJP in the stateWhat expert sayPolitical strategist Prashant Kishore speaking with the media recently said that the vote share of the BJP in Tamil Nadu is most likely to increase to double digits in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections During the 2014 general elections BJPs vote share in Tamil Nadu was 55 per cent and in 2019 it fell to 366 per centPolitical commentator Ashok Wankhede claimed that BJPrsquos target of winning over 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha is not possible ldquoThey need to fill 67 more seats and at present southern states is the only region where BJP can garner more seats However the chances are very dimrdquo ldquoIn states like Tamil Nadu Kerala or Telangana with stronger regional parties and Congressrsquo presence BJP with extensive campaigning and excellent election management can increase its vote share But winning a higher number of seats is difficultrdquo Wankhede saidThe BJP is contesting 23 seats in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Lok Sabha It is also in alliance with the New Justice Party and other smaller partiesIf BJPrsquos prominent candidate and face for Tamil Nadu K Annamalairsquos efforts will result electoral win for the party only time can revealTamil Nadu will go for the Lok Sabha elections in a single phase on April 19 The results will be declared on June 4