Kamal Haasan's MNM Allies With DMK For Lok Sabha Elections

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) announces its alliance with the DMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, securing a Rajya Sabha seat in the collaboration.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 9 March 2024 3:17 pm

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) forges an alliance with the DMK.

Kamal Haasan announced on Saturday that his party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), will form an alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by MK Stalin, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. MNM will also extend full support to the DMK-led alliance without seeking any specific positions.

The agreement was formalised at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, during a meeting between Kamal Haasan and DMK chief minister M.K. Stalin. As part of the understanding, DMK has allotted one seat to MNM for the 2025 Rajya Sabha elections.

MNM has pledged "full support" to the alliance and will actively participate in campaign efforts for the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the solitary Puducherry segment, according to the agreement between Haasan and Stalin.

Kamal Haasan had previously defended Udhayanidhi Stalin amidst the 'Sanatana Dharma' controversy, emphasizing that the criticism directed at the young politician was unwarranted. Haasan's MNM had shown support for 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.

As the Lok Sabha elections approach, negotiations for the seat-sharing deal between the DMK and its ally, the Congress, are underway. The parties are expected to finalize the agreement by the weekend. In the 2019 general elections, the DMK and Congress secured a sweeping victory by winning 38 out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, with the Congress winning 8 out of the 9 contested.