Kamal Haasan’s MNM joins DMK-led alliance, promised Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu

Speaking to reporters after clinching the meeting, Haasan said his move to join the alliance was for the sake of the country and not for any consideration for the post.

He extended his party’s “full support” to the alliance.

MNM will campaign for the DMK-led front in 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry segment, according to the understanding arrived at by the two leaders.

Haasan launched his party in 2018 amid much fanfare and declared that it would have a ‘centrist’ outlook. The party contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 Assembly polls by itself, but was routed in the hustings as the DMK-led bloc emerged victorious on both occasions.

Actor #KamalHaasans MNM joins @arivalayam-led alliance; allotted one seat for 2025 Rajya Sabha polls. pic.twitter.com/RmY9Dj3ZPC

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) March 9, 2024

Also Read: DMK allots two seats each to CPI, CPI(M) for Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu

Other alliance partners

As part of the Lok Sabha seat sharing, in February, DMK has allotted the Left parties CPI and CPI (M) two seats each.

The MK Stalin-led DMK, which leads the multi-party Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the state, had earlier shared one seat each with its allies IUML and Kongu Desiya Murpokku Kazhagam (KMDK) for the upcoming polls.

In January, the DMK held talks with the Congress, as part of the INDI Alliance. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President KS Alagiri told reporters then that the talks were very satisfactory and they would soon take things forward.

While the DMK’s long-time ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was allotted the Ramanathapuram segment in southern Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian party earmarked Namakkal constituency for the west-Tamil Nadu-based partner Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK).

KM Kader Mohideen, national president of the IUML said that his party’s incumbent MP from Ramanathapuram, Navas Kani, will be renominated.

Mohideen told reporters on 25 February, that his party requested a Rajya Sabha seat from the DMK during seat-sharing talks.

The Dravidian party, however, said the seat-sharing exercise was confined to the Lok Sabha polls and questions related to the Rajya Sabha elections may be taken up later at the appropriate time.

Both IUML and KMDK have been allotted the same seats they were given in the 2019 LS polls.

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(With PTI inputs)