kamal-haasan-s-political-script-takes-rajya-sabha-turn-via-dmk

Kamal Haasan is set to enter the Rajya Sabha as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) honours its 2024 electoral pact with his party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).

 

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin met Haasan at his residence to congratulate him on the development.

 

Udhayanidhi later shared a message on social media platform X, stating that he met Haasan as a courtesy and expressed gratitude for the warm welcome.

 

He also noted that they exchanged views on politics and art.

 

Senior DMK leader and Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, PK Sekar Babu, also visited Haasan at his Alwarpet office, with the official account of MNM later describing it as a courtesy meeting.

 

The DMK’s decision to nominate Haasan to the Rajya Sabha comes as part of a pre-election understanding between the two parties.

 

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Haasan had extended unconditional support to the DMK-led INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, even though MNM did not contest any seats.

 

On 9 March 2024, Haasan visited the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, where he formally sealed the alliance with Chief Minister MK Stalin.

 

Haasan had earlier clarified that his decision to back the DMK-led alliance was motivated by national interest rather than political ambition. He stated that his support was not for a position but for the betterment of the country.

 

However, as per the agreement, Haasan was expected to campaign for the DMK-led alliance in return for a Rajya Sabha nomination from the party’s quota in 2025.

 

With the tenure of at least six Rajya Sabha MPs, including members from the DMK, AIADMK and PMK, set to conclude by June 2025, the ruling party has now moved forward with its commitment to Haasan.

 

Party sources indicate that this decision had been finalised well in advance of the general elections.

 

Kamal Haasan, regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema, entered politics in 2018 with the launch of MNM, positioning his party as a centrist alternative in Tamil Nadu.

 

However, his political journey has been challenging. MNM contested both the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls independently but failed to secure significant electoral success.

 

Meanwhile, the DMK-led alliance triumphed in both elections, consolidating its political dominance in the state.