Ex-IAS Sagayam forms alliance with two parties, announces first list of candidates

Former Tamil Nadu bureaucrat Sagayam, on Monday, announced that his (unregistered) party, Sagayam Arasiyal Peravai, has formed an alliance with two parties to contest the upcoming Assembly election. He has formed an alliance with the Tamil Nadu Youth Party and the Valamana Tamizhaga Katchi (Prosperous Tamil Nadu Party). 

While Sagayam said he will not contest, the members of his unregistered Sagayam Arasiyal Peravai will contest in 20 constituencies under the Tamil Nadu Youth Party symbol. Sagayam announced the first list of 10 candidates. 

Addressing the media persons on Monday, Sagayam said, he will officially launch his party and will explain the ideology of the party once it gets formal recognition.

For now, he said, their alliance will support secularism and is against anti-secular governance. The alliance will also drive their governance based on the principles of affection, moral and justice, and will fight against corruption, he said.

“The people who love this land should form organisations and work to stop environmental exploitation by big companies and people with political power. When the rights of women are squeezed, we should also voice out for them,” Sagayam said. 

“There is untouchability, so we should create organisations to abolish them. We should also function for the farmers who are the backbone of society. So apart from the electoral politics, let us work for the people,” he said.

On fielding young candidates, Sagayam said, “A few youngsters told me that they can do something for society only if young people like them get a space in the political arena. So considering that I have decided to field them.”

The 10 candidates whom Sagayam introduced are:

> Pushpa Raj – Cuddalore

> SD Prabhakar – Anna Nagar

> Balasubramaniam – Avadi 

> Kamala Kannan – Alandur 

> Kesavaperumal – Virudhachalam

> Nagajothi  – Madurai (West)

> Karunagara Muthu — Omalur 

> Rajkumar – Mayiladuthurai 

> P Siva – Kavundampalayam 

> Durai Raj – Coimbatore North 

The Tamil Nadu Youth Party will field 15 other candidates under the alliance. The party was formed by a few youngsters after the 2017 Jallikattu protests. Pradeep Kumar, Kameswaran, Rajasekar and Sundarrajan Jeganathan are is founding members. They are also in alliance with the Prosperous Tamilnadu party.