Udupi’s Singham, ex-IPS officer Annamalai gets BJP ticket, contest from Aravakurichi constituency

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, March 14, 2021: Seven months after he joined the BJP in Tamil Nadu, former Karnataka-cadre IPS officer K Annamalai was on Sunday named as the party’s candidate for Aravakurichi assembly constituency that will go to polls on April 6.

His career as an IPS officer, he has spent six years on the field, serving in Udupi, Mangaluru and Chikamagaluru, later he was posted as the DCP for Bengaluru South. The IPS officer with a turn for social justice, he soon earned himself the title Udupi’s Singham, not just for his ability to battle crime but for a host of other initiatives, including the promotion of eco-friendly transport.

Born into a simple, agricultural family in Coimbatore, Annamalai graduated with an engineering degree and made the cut into IIM Lucknow.

Annamalai (36), who quit service in 2019 after opting for voluntary retirement, joined the BJP in August 2020 and was appointed as one of the vice-presidents of the state unit. It is said that the former police officer, who earned the sobriquet ’Singham’ for his flamboyant style of functioning, wanted to contest from his native seat.

BJP, which will contest 20 seats in an alliance with AIADMK, announced candidates for 17 constituencies on Sunday.