The ex-IAS officer, who was formerly collector in Vellore district in the late nineties and who resigned her post to help the poor and downtrodden told DT Next, “I have decided to contest the Vellore LS seat when the polls are announced again as this is the only way to get recognition for Dalits.”

 

Asked whether she could be assured of success given the fact that polls were cancelled just before polling day on April 18 she said, “My contacts inform me that AIADMK will be unable to get the minority votes in the Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Gudiyattam and Vellore constituencies, while the DMK is hamstrung by the lack of love for candidate Kathir Anand from his own party men.”

Though AMMK is likely to split votes of the Dravidian majors due to loyalty and caste factors, “There is no gainsaying the fact that Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) will also cut into Dravidian votes due to the present anti-incumbency faced by the ruling dispensation,” she added.

Accepting that present caste factors would not be helpful to a Dalit candidate, she said, “I am thinking of approaching one of the new comers for an alliance. If this comes about and if we are able to get a respectable number of votes it will be the base for our entry into state politics as we will be taken seriously.”

Once the election process is restarted for Vellore constituency, she said, “I will highlight important issues, including water scarcity and rampant sand smuggling from water bodies.

Sivakami addressed her party workers on Monday on the electoral process highlighting the need for sustained hard work to ensure victory for the Dalit party.