On Saturday, Kamal Haasan, founder of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party, declared an alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led by MK Stalin, pledging full support for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The announcement was made in Chennai, emphasizing the alliance’s commitment to the country’s welfare rather than personal gains.
During the agreement finalization at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, Kamal Haasan and DMK Chief Minister M.K. Stalin sealed the alliance, with the DMK allocating one seat to MNM for the 2025 Rajya Sabha elections. The partnership involves MNM providing “full support” to the alliance and actively participating in campaign efforts across the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the solitary Puducherry segment.
Kamal Haasan, known for his vocal stance, defended Udhayanidhi Stalin amidst the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ controversy, expressing concern over the targeting of a young individual for expressing views on the subject.
Having supported the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance candidate in the Erode by-polls despite facing setbacks in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2021 Assembly polls, MNM’s alignment with the DMK highlights a strategic political move. Kamal Haasan founded MNM in 2018.
The alliance gains significance as Lok Sabha elections approach, and negotiations for seat-sharing between the DMK and its ally, the Congress, are currently underway. The discussions are expected to conclude over the weekend, with both parties aiming to replicate their successful seat-sharing agreement from the 2019 general elections. In that election, the alliance secured 38 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats, with the Congress winning 8 out of the 9 contested.
Kamal Haasan’s proactive political involvement, including collaboration with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in December 2022, underscores the evolving political dynamics in Tamil Nadu as parties strategically align for the upcoming elections.
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