Doctors, lawyers, a former IPS officer, a retired district judge, and businessmen figure among the candidates fielded by Tamil actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) for Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Releasing the list of 21 candidates and their constituencies, the actor-turned-politician said the second list will be released on March 24.
On the same day, the party will also release its manifesto and the list of candidates contesting in assembly by-elections in Tamil Nadu, Haasan said.
On Tuesday, the MNM announced electoral tie-up with the Republican Party of India and allotted it one Lok Sabha seat and three seats in the assembly by-elections to be held on April 18.
Retired Indian Police Service officer A G Mourya will contest from Chennai North while former district judge K Guruviah will stand from Nagapattinam.
Doctors M A S Subramanian, S Sudhakar and M Logarangan will contest from Puducherry, Dindigul and Tiruvallur, respectively.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami reiterated national security was important for a democratic country like India and only Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the capability to ensure this.
In his address at a poll meeting in Salem, he said: “India is a big democratic country. Security is important for all in this country. It is only Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has the capability to lead the country in a secure manner while implementing various schemes for the people.” 
He hoped the BJP alliance wins the Lok Sabha elections in a big way to provide a stable government at the Centre.
Palaniswami said that his state government will take steps to link Godavari-Cauvery rivers to solve the water problem of the state once the BJP-led government comes back to power at the Centre.