Chennai: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) will contest the Lok Sabha elections next year and that it will have electoral alliance only with like-minded political parties, its leader and veteran actor Kamal Haasan has announced.
The executive committee of the MNM has authorised him to decide on forging alliance, he said.
With his announcement, Kamal has ended months of speculation over his electoral debut, and even before his party launches the anniversary celebration in February, the MNM is gearing up to contest the Lok Sabha elections. It remains to be seen if actor Rajini would also make a similar move. The 64-year-old Kamal had taken the political plunge by launching the MNM on Feb. 21 in Madurai.
“I will definitely contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Haasan replied when asked if he would contest. “After discussions, the party’s executive and administrative committees authorised me to take a decision on forging alliance with like-minded parties and a good alliance will fructify,” Mr. Haasan told reporters here on Saturday.
Asked to explain what he exactly meant by “like-minded parties” the MNM leader replied, “we will not have truck with any party that wants to change the DNA of Tamil Nadu.” The ideology of the party with which MNM may forge ties might be different, but the thought process should be in favour of Tamil Nadu, he explained. His party’s propaganda for the Lok Sabha election would be based on the growth of Tamil Nadu. “The time has come to correct the injustices meted out to the State and aspects like these will be the focal points of our poll propaganda,” he said.
When persisted if he ruled out alliance with the BJP, he shot back, “you can interpret, its you view.….the BJP has been ruled out in atleast five States,” he said. He however said his party would contest the by-elections to the 20 Assembly constituencies.
Kamal had recently said that he was not averse to forging electoral ties with the Congress provided it eased itself out of the DMK-led alliance, which the national party has rejected.
Asked to name the parties with which MNM would align, he said such a need did not arise now. “We will let you know after taking a decision. Now there is no urgency to disclose it,” he added.
