Annamalai takes a leaf out of PM Modi's book as he launches new political movement

Old habits die hard. Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai might have officially broken up with his party, but there is still a familiar ring.

As he launched his new political movement called “We The Leaders,” the website, in a break away from traditions, presented him as its "Chief Servant", not president.

A term he appears to have borrowed from his mentor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he has often credited with inspiring his entry into politics.

After all, it was Modi who famously described himself as the "Pradhan Sevak" (Chief Servant) while railing against what he called the "shehzada" culture entrenched in the power corridors of Delhi.

On the other hand, Annamalai never hid his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I am in politics for the sake of a single man, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and I will follow his command without a second thought," he once said.

So inspired was he by PM Modi that, for a long time, his official Instagram bio read: "A commoner, one among you, a foot soldier of Modi's Army!"

With the BJP chapter now behind him, Annamalai still remains a "common man", though his bio now reads: "A common man in search of good politics!"

With his new movement, Annamalai appears to have given Modi's 'Pradhan Sevak' pitch a new dimension.

By positioning himself as its "Chief Servant", Annamalai said his aim is to offer Tamil Nadu a break from the personality cult-driven politics that has dominated the state for years and place the common man at the centre of governance.

The message, he suggests, is simple: not a family, not a "shehzada", but the ordinary citizen.

One look at his newly launched political movement shows that getting young people from all walks of life into politics is at the heart of its vision. Central to that effort is the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Ethics and Politics in Coimbatore, where Annamalai said he would conduct ethical training for leaders who would contest future elections.

The aim, he said, is to bring clean and efficient technocrats and professionals with no political background into politics and create a new generation of leaders.

Both the centre and its name carry significance. Annamalai has often said that he drew his nationalist ideology from former President APJ Abdul Kalam.

Kalam believed that the nation should take precedence over religious or regional identities.

In a similar vein, Annamalai said that while his politics would remain rooted in local issues, his larger identity hierarchy was clear: Indian first, Tamilian next.

Yet, even this attempt to bring youngsters from ordinary backgrounds into politics carries a familiar Modi imprint.

In 2024, shortly after securing a third consecutive term in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his Independence Day address from the Red Fort to make a clarion call for change. He urged one lakh young people with no political lineage to enter public life, arguing that fresh faces were essential to rid Indian politics of casteism and nepotism.

In subsequent editions of Mann Ki Baat too, Modi repeatedly spoke about the growing number of Gen-Z Indians willing to participate in politics, provided they were given the right opportunities and support.

For a man who earned the moniker "Singham" during his stint in the IPS, Annamalai has never hidden the fact that it was Modi who drew him into politics. He quit the elite civil service, joined the BJP and rose rapidly through the ranks to become the party's Tamil Nadu chief.

But it was also his outspoken criticism of Tamil Nadu's personality cult, particularly his remarks on the AIADMK's leadership culture, that eventually became a point of friction. With the BJP seeking to keep its ally AIADMK on board ahead of this year's Assembly election, Annamalai was removed as the state party chief.

The alliance went on to perform poorly, failing to capture the imagination of voters. At the same time, Tamil Nadu witnessed the rise of a new political force in actor Vijay's TVK. Now, with "We The Leaders", Annamalai appears to be attempting a political reset of his own.

Whether the experiment succeeds or not remains to be seen. But in both form and substance, Annamalai's new venture carries unmistakable traces of the political template he has long admired.

From calling himself a "Chief Servant" and championing ordinary citizens over political dynasties to creating a platform for first-generation leaders and professionals to enter public life, the signatures of PM Modi's politics are hard to miss.

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