Kamal Haasan makes Parliament debut

Blitz Bureau

NEW DELHI: Kamal Haasan, the celebrated celluloid figure and politician from Tamil Nadu, formally entered national politics on July 25, taking oath as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. Delivering his oath in Tamil, Haasan underscored his cultural roots and civic commitment, stating, “As an Indian, I will do my duty.”

His induction into the Upper House marks a significant milestone in a political journey that began with idealistic fervour and has evolved into strategic pragmatism. Haasan founded the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in February 2018, positioning it as a centrist, non-Dravidian alternative to the dominant DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). His early campaigns emphasised transparency, grassroots governance, and a break from entrenched political binaries.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, MNM contested 37 seats and secured a modest vote share, performing relatively better in urban constituencies. The 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections saw Haasan himself contest from Coimbatore South, where he lost narrowly to the BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan. Despite the setback, MNM garnered over 2.6 per cent of the statewide vote as per electoral records.

Following internal challenges and limited electoral traction, Haasan recalibrated his political strategy. In March 2024, MNM joined the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance ahead of the general elections, choosing alliance-building over ideological isolation. The DMK’s clean sweep of all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu was partly credited to MNM’s support, and Haasan was subsequently offered a Rajya Sabha seat as part of the alliance’s power-sharing arrangement.

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