The elephant of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) trumpets to trample Dravida Kazhakams- dominated Tamil Nadu political arena this election. Playing her political cards very cunningly, BSP supremo and UP chief minister Mayawati embraced all communities from Brahmins to Dalits and workers of all political parties from BJP to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).
BSP is preparing to make an elephantine ride in the state by contesting all the 39 LS seats in TN and one in Piducherry. Being the third largest national party after Congress and BJP, the BSP has advantage of its nationally approved and recognized ?Elephant? symbol.
Then party is inviting most of the dalit and other minor parties to its fold as they don’t have an approved symbol.
Since Tamil Nadu goes to polls in the last lap on May 13, political parties are slow in finalising their poll partners and strategies. But BSP with its political philosophy of inclusive social coalition is way ahead of others. The party has already announced its candidates for seven constituencies. ?We will announce the candidates for all the seats in TN and the one in Piducherry on March 8?, K Ramasubramanian, BSP spokesperson and state secretary, told FE from Coimbatore.
He said, the party has already inducted a few retired IAS officers, former MPs and from different communities and parties. ?The aim is to consolidate the scattered dalit votes in different parties. Independently they cannot be a force to reckon with but collectively they can make an impact?, he said.
Party supremo Mayawati, who laid the foundation for the party in the South during her visit to Chennai recently, would be addressing election rallies in the major cities in the state, he said.
?BSP is not for any pre-poll alignment and the strategy is to contest all the 543 seats. But the party will consider post-poll arrangements with other parties to enable the formation of a people?s government at the Centre?, Subramanian said.
BSP would approach the electorate with its agenda for development. ?BSP does not believe in offering freebies and its focus is on empowerment of the people through alround socio-economic development. The party will highlight the failed programmes of the Congress-led UPA, the family politics of the DMK, and the divisive policies of the BJP and its allies?, he said.
However, it is too early to assess the electoral impact of the bold talks of the BSP representatives in the state. The major parties are yet to finalise the alliances. VCK, the only Dalit party of any significant impact in the state, is yet to find a principal partner. VCK?s open support to LTTE is making its tie-up with DMK difficult as Congress and DMK are partners. Congress in no way would tolerate VCK’s LTTE leanings. The poll politics in Tamil Nadu is yet to reach the final phase.