On Sunday, the party released its second list of 11 candidates — V V Moorthy (Krishnagiri), R N Ramalingam (Chidambaram), M Krishnan (Nilgiris), K Utharapathi (Kancheepuram), P Govindaswami (Tiruvannamalai), S Poyyadhu alias Anbil Poyyamozhi (Villupuram), T A Harigarasivam (Namakkal), M A Sivakumari (Erode), S N Balakrishnan (Tirupur), C Arokiadas (Cuddalore) and Dr S Saravanan (Thanjavur).
The party had already announced the names of 23 candidates, including ex-MP Dr Sridhar(South Chennai), P Sivakami, an IAS officer (Kanyakumari), Kanakaraj (Virudhunagar), Dr Saptharishi (Mayiladuthurai) and Dr Purushotham (Dharmapuri).
The party is yet to announce candidates for the remaining five constituencies — Tenkasi, Nagapattinam, Tirunelveli, Pollachi and Chennai North.
“The BSP hopes to make a dent in Tamil Nadu politics as a large section of the people here are unhappy with the anti-people policies of the DMK, AIADMK and other parties, their family politics and opportunistic electoral alliances,” said Dr Suresh Mane, national general secretary of the BSP. He also said that the BJP had started emerging as an alternative to the so-called Dravidian parties in the State.
“The strong vibrant 25 per cent of the Dalit population in the State is also aspiring to have a strong Ambedkarite national Dalit identity and wanting to see BSP leader Mayawati as the next Prime Minister of India,’’ he said.