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Two Years Of Annamalai: The Man, The Mission And The Mandate

“He Came, He Saw & He Conquered” and this phrase fits into the political entry of Annamalai.

On 25th August 2020, amidst the pandemic, an IPS officer who stole the hearts of honest people in Karnataka made a dramatic entry into the political scene of Tamil Nadu. He had impeccable credentials having graduated from a premier engineering institute, completing his master’s in Business Administration from nation’s premier business school and having served the Indian Police Service for 8 years, all before his 37th birthday.

He neither comes from a political dynasty nor was a Kollywood star which were the norms to become a hot property in Tamil Nadu politics. He defied conventional wisdom and became the President of the BJP Tamil Nadu unit which envied his political rivals.

Even before he completed 365 days in politics he was parachuted to the top position since they understood that people of Tamil Nadu were craving for a politician who was personification of honesty and integrity, didn’t have the entitlement baggage and could bring a whiff of fresh breath into the political environment of the state.

He ticked all the boxes and common people’s hearts were conquered by his style of politics that has come to signify the 3 Ps – Protests, Protection, People.

As the party chief, Annamalai is aware that he is not wearing a crown of roses but a crown of thorns  as in Tamil Nadu, the road ahead is filled with pits and potholes for any national party to grow.

His success has been in galvanizing people and cadres in organizing protests against people-unfriendly policies of DMK Government and protection for his cadres against the high handedness of the ruling DMK in arresting BJP party men by foisting frivolous cases..

In all the instances where DMK foisted false cases against BJP supporters, Annamalai ensured that moral and if need be legal support was provided. Time and again he dared the DMK to touch him if they had the courage instead of going after his supporters.

Indeed, testing times are ahead for him as he needs to grow the party in one of BJP’s list of final frontiers. He would need to convert the support into votes and then into seats which is a Himalayan task ahead of him which is why I mentioned that he is wearing a crown of thorns.

Protest Politics: Giving The Dravidian Stock A Taste Of Their Own Medicine

Ever since 1972 the politics of Tamil Nadu was dominated by 2 regional parties and each of them had a unique style of functioning. DMK’s brand of politics while being in opposition had been to stage protests on a monthly basis by finding faults with the decisions taken by AIADMK and to hit the streets with their cadre.

They would also use the media to their advantage and unleash their ecosystem on the ruling party. This was a tried and tested method for 30 years when they were in opposition.

While being in power DMK would use their same media and ecosystem to their advantage to glorify their Dravidian model of governance. On the ground anger and anti-incumbency against DMK would set in early and hence AIADMK had a different modus operandi while being in opposition.

MGR never had to sit in the opposition benches and hence we could never see his style of functioning. While Jayalalitha would be silently watching the bad governance of DMK for over 50 months and spring into action hardly before election banking on the people’s anger.

She never had to indulge in roadside protest politics. Hence DMK never had to face the music of protest politics while being in power.

This was what was changed ever since Annamalai took over as the state’s President. He hit the streets from day 1 and results are there for people to see. It is by taking DMK’s trump card into his hand Annamalai is breaking the Dravidian Ecosystem brick by brick.

The Protests Of Annamalai

Here are some of the protests undertaken by Annamalai ever since he took over.

August 5, 2021: Annamalai holds one-day hunger protest over Mekedatu dam issue at Thanjavur. This was a significant move since he was protesting against the decision of BJP Government in Karnataka saying he stands for the rights of Tamizh farmers. Karnataka Congressmen protested at Bangalore against BJP Tamil Nadu and Annamalai and this exposed the double standards of Congress. Former Central Minister Dayanidhi Maran went overboard against Annamalai using abusive language and Annamalai retorted to it. From then on Maran has gone on a silent mode.

September 10, 2021: Post the lethal 2nd COVID wave Stalin’s Government imposed restrictions on Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations which affected the sentiments of majority Hindu population which promoted Annamalai to urge people to install Ganesh idols outside their homes. He asked people to send Ganesh Chaturthi wishes in the form of post cards to CM and lakhs of people sent the cards to remind the CM to wish them on the auspicious occasion.

October 7, 2021: When the government relaxed the opening of cinema halls, TASMAC wine shops and malls, the temples remain closed on weekends and that too during Navratri. He called for major protests in all the major temples across the state demanding the DMK Government to open temples in 10 days lest he would organize massive state-wide protests. DMK relented and declared to open all temples in weekends within 3 days. This was the first feather in his cap making the DMK to yield to his & people’s demands.

October 21, 2021: In a press meet the IPS officer revealed the modus operandi of the impending scam in power purchases and the nexus between EB Minister and BGR Energy. The minister was cornered and had to retract from the agreements. BGR sent bit notice seeking ₹500 crores as defamation which became a laughable stuff.

October 23, 2021: State BJP President took the DMK Government to cleaners when he revealed that the tender of Diwali sweets procurement mandates only companies with a turnover of ₹100 crores to participate for the sweet purchases by the Govt. He demanded why DMK is not buying from state owned Aavin which makes sweet products. Government withdrew the clause and Dairy Minister revealed on November 3 that Aavin made record sales of ₹83 crores during the festival period. Another instance of making DMK to mend to his demand.

December 2, 2021: In a foolish move state government decided to build 3200 acres Industrial Park at Annur near Mettupalayam in the fertile agricultural land where small farmers grow all sorts of vegetables. DMK was planning to acquire the land from small and marginal farmers. He was the only state level leader who visited 6 villages and stood with the local farmers. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the plan to build Industrial Park and within 3 days DMK silently withdrew the plan with a press note. By now the DMK was facing the heat of Annamalai’s brand of politics.

January 25, 2022: When a female student committed suicide, the state was in the boil as there were suspicions of forced conversion being the reason to push the teenage girl to take the extreme step it was Annamalai who gave a clarion call that the case must be handed over to CBI. Couple of ministers and a police officer were trying to defend the school management. He took the matter to courts and ensured
that the case was handed over to CBI. This was a humungous victory for the young leader as the national media started to take cognizance of his words and actions.

March 24, 2022: When atrocities on women were rising with the law and order becoming a matter of concern Annamalai again hit the streets at Virudhnagar condemning the DMK Govt’s lackadaisical attitude of keeping our women safe. He said “this is not the TN we are used to.” Younger women started to look at him as their Anna and the older ones started to see him as their son who has descended to
keep women safe and fight for their security.

May 4, 2022: When centuries old practice of “Pattina Pravesam”, a ritual of carrying the mutt head of Dharmapuram Adheenam in a planquin was banned by DMK Annamalai came to the forefront and said that the practice existed even before the birth of DMK ideology and demanded the Govt to lift the ban. He further exhorted  that he himself would personally carry the pontiff in the palanquin. As usual a rattled DMK relented and lifted the ban. He did keep his promise and carried the pontiff.

May 12, 2022: DMK went into a tailspin when thousands of people joined in the protest at the DMK Fortress and Temple Town of Thiruvarur against renaming of ‘Rath or Car Street’ after former CM Karunanidhi. It is worth to note that Thiruvarur is the home town of the former CM and he was elected from that constituency twice as an MLA. Stalin’s Govt had no other choice than to drop its plan.

May 31, 2022: When Modi led Central Govt reduced the prices of petrol and diesel twice in a span of 6 months the DMK govt did not reduce its share of taxes which was promised in their election manifesto leading to the fuel prices being higher in TN compared to BJP ruled states including the neighboring Pondicherry and Karnataka.

This led Annamalai to call for a massive protest which was attended by tens of thousands of people rattling DMK and its ecosystem. All these protests be it either for the protection of Farmers rights or women safety or injustice meted against Hindu temples and traditions or the price rise has struck a chord with the citizens of the state. This has also led to the fear amongst DMK and the so-called Dravidian Stocks since he has been leading the assault from the forefront.

Who Is His Enemy?

In his political journey he has clearly established DMK as his and BJP’s ideological enemy by exposing their Dravidian Model as nothing but a “Venkaya Model” (Onion Model) which exist for the welfare of one family and how their carefully nurtured ecosystem protects the Gopalapuram Family from its failure to deliver on its promises.

One advantage that Annamalai has had in his nascent political career is that Dravidian Stocks has been abusing him by using terms like Aatukutti Annamalai (Goat) and Vaathu (Duck). This is not new for Dravidian people since Karunanidhi had himself abused Perunthalaivar Kamaraj and his mother. They neither spared MGR calling him as “Koothadi” and “Malayalathan” (Actor and native of Kerala). They went overboard with Jayalalitha using even her caste identity. But the irony is that all the 3 people went to become legends in Indian politics. DMK has this extraordinary capability of identifying a leader from the enemy’s camp who would go on to become their threat. That is what they are doing now with Annamalai.

Journey Ahead

The challenges ahead for Annamalai are manifold:

1. He needs to erase the fake negative image which has been carefully curated against Modi ever since 2017 by DMK and its ecosystem which is easier said than done since day in and day out he faces a hostile media. He is in the right path of exposing the men in media who try to propagate fake narrative against PM Modi. An example for fake narrative is that local media has painted an image that Modi is trying to impose Hindi which is a very emotive subject in this part of the world. Annamalai has batted with a straight bat and emphatically conveyed that BJP TN unit and he himself stands against Hindi imposition. He hardly has 18 months to turn the negative image into a positive one which is a work in progress.

2. Another challenge for him would to build a strong alliance prior to 2024 general elections against DMK, Congress and Left parties who are ideologically poles apart from BJP. This coalition needs to carefully built to take on the might of jumbo alliance projecting the premiership of Modi. Building alliance with likeminded parties is one step but the real roadblock would be to bring on ground coordination and collaboration amongst the respective party workers. If he can achieve that then he
would have risen to greater heights.

3. It is a fact that almost every citizen of the state has gained from the welfare schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but communicating this to the beneficiaries can be done only by his party workers. He needs to build an agile and robust party machinery which can take on the Dravidian Stocks on ground since exposing the failed promises of DMK Govt and articulating the benefits of Modi Sarkar to a common man should be the top priority of his team members. He has evolved the right strategy of “Illam
Selvovam: Ullam Velvom” (Go to every home and win the hearts of people). This needs to be done swiftly since it is important for the field force to meet each voter a minimum 5 to 8 times before the election to win their hearts.

4. Winning the Perception battle and setting the Right Narratives are the 2 pillars on which elections are won. Annamalai has the biggest advantage here since Congress party is now redundant in most states and the battle for 2024 looks sealed in favor of Modi. At least that is what most opinion polls and surveys say & this message must reach the nook and corner since people of Tamizh Nadu would prefer to vote for a winning alliance and historically Tamil Nadu votes unidirectional in Lok Sabha elections favoring one alliance. It is said that a week is too long in politics but this perception and narrative needs to be carefully nurtured from now.

5. Last but not the least Annamalai needs to craft a long-term vision for the state of Tamil Nadu since he has age on his side. He and his supporters must understand that he is running a marathon race and not a 100-meter sprint for the development of the state. 2024 is one thing and long-term development is an all together a different game. A quick winning stride for 2024 and at the same time an amaranthine process
for his accomplishment of his mission is the perfect recipe for Annamalai. We can safely say that in 2 years Annamalai has come a long way from a rookie politician but he has a very long way to go.

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