In the midst of tough political terrain in Tamil Nadu, the state BJP President Annamalai has been conferred with a big task of strengthening the party in Karnataka ahead of its assembly polls. In a closely-watched political event where Annamalai has been slammed for his contentious leadership in Tamil Nadu, this order of the new job has come from the Central BJP.

It's the first time that Annamalai has been deputed to another state since he became the Tamil Nadu BJP President. Putting him in an uphill battle, Annamalai has been asked to discharge the political duties along with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Karnataka where the ruling BJP has been vying for another five-year term in the assembly. 

The announcement from the Central BJP has come on Saturday - February 4 when the Karnataka assembly election is scheduled to be held before May 2023. An official statement issued by BJP's National General Secretary Arun Singh said, "BJP National President Hon'ble Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Education, Skill Development, & Entrepreneurship Minister, Government of India incharge and Shri K Annamalai, State President, Tamil Nadu BJP Co-incharge for the forthcoming Assembly Elections of Karnataka state." 

"This appointment comes into immediate effect", the statement added. The announcement from the BJP has also come at a high time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Karnataka on Monday. As BJP aims to retain the reign in its only ruling state in south India, the saffron party has made the appointments of Pradhan and Annamalai, who have a close connection with Karnataka. The party's triumph from the state would give it a crucial push in south India in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

According to reports, Dharmendra Pradhan has a vast experience with the Karnataka affairs. He was the party's national general secretary in-charge of the state from 2011 to 2013, when the party had witnessed a turmoil after BS Yediyurappa had left BJP and launched Karnataka Janata Party. In July 2021, when Yediyurappa resigned as the Chief Minister and was succeeded by Basavaraj Bommai, Pradhan was the observer from the BJP's high command. 

Pradhan has a good track-record when it comes to dealing with the polls for the BJP. He was in-charge of BJP for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in 2022 and he had also served one of his favourite roles as party's in-charge of Assam and Madhya Pradesh polls in 2015 and 2018 respectively. According to The Hindu, a senior BJP leader has said that Dharmendran Pradhan has the skills to navigate a difficult election when the party is facing anti-incumbency.  

On the other hand, Annamalai's pick for a crucial role has taken everyone by surprise as it has come when it has been said that the senior leaders in the Tamil Nadu BJP are expressing their displeasures against his leadership. However, his induction as an in-charge for the party in Karnataka has shown that the party's central leadership is still confident about his leadership. Moreover, Annamalai has also served as a police officer in Karnataka. 

It is pertinent to note that Annamalai is a 2011 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Karnataka cadre. He served as the SP of Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts and as the DCP of Bengaluru South. He resigned from service in 2019 and joined the BJP in Tamil Nadu, which is home state. Annamalai is also a close confidante of BL Santhosh, the BJP's general secretary for organization.

Since he joined BJP in August 2020, Annamalai has had a political elevation. Within one year, he was made the president of Tamil Nadu BJP unit and now, he has been given a new and much-larger litmus test for his leadership. As the BJP has been a whirlwind situation with charges of corruption and misgovernance in Karnataka, the results of the upcoming assembly polls for BJP would have a direct impact on the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.