Karnataka's 'Singhamalai' Embraces BJP

Bengaluru: In what is being perceived as a boost to the saffron party, especially in Tamil Nadu, former Karnataka-cadre IPS officer Annamalai Kuppuswamy of the Karnataka Police department on Tuesday joined the BJP in New Delhi.

Annamalai joined the party in the presence of BJP national general secretary Muralidhar Rao and president of its Tamil Nadu unit L Murugan at the party's headquarters in New Delhi. He had met BJP president J P Nadda before joining the party. He will be associated with the party unit in Tamil Nadu, which is his home state and has said he would work to bring the "nationalist spirit" there.

Annamalai, who earned the sobriquet 'Singham', said his top priority is to strengthen the party at the grassroot level in his native town of Karur in Tamil Nadu. "I have joined BJP primarily because of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. I have been attracted to the Prime Minister's policies. He has not compromised on development plans and internal security. I will work in tandem with the larger vision of the party. I always served the nation, first as an IPS officer, now I will be serving people through the ideals of the BJP."

Known as an upright, honest and brave officer, he was so popular among the people during his stint as SP of Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts that there were protests following his transfer. A 2011 batch IPS officer, he began his career as an assistant superintendent of police, Karkala sub-division in 2013.

Annamalai took over as DCP of Bengaluru (South) in 2018. He was later promoted to SP of Udupi on 2015. At the time of resignation, Annamalai was serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru South) and he resigned from his post on 2019. He completed his graduation from the PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore and Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.

Annamalai had earned a reputation for cracking down on criminal activities in the coastal district. During his services at coastal region, Annamalai interacted with students from various colleges, particularly in Manipal, where he implemented stringent rules restricting nightlife in the student town.

He was later transferred from Udupi district and posted as SP of Chikkamagaluru district in 2016. He earned further praise for his handling of the sensitive Baba Budangiri issue. In 2017, he organised a peace-keeping meeting between members of Hindu and Muslim communities following incidents of vandalism at the famous Baba Budangiri shrine in the district.