New Delhi:
Actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan on Saturday announced that he and his party will "definitely" contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and a committee will soon start choosing the potential candidates. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Haasan said, "I will definitely contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections." However, the MNM chief didn't mention any specific Lok Sabha constituency. The MNM chief also said that he was open to forming an alliance with like-minded parties for the general elections. "We are willing to form an alliance with like-minded parties in parliament elections. Our executive committee members have asked me to take decisions on party alliance," Haasan said.
Kamal Haasan said that while it was too soon to say that if his party would lead the alliance or would just be a part of that, he would not ally with any party that "tries to change the DNA of Tamil Nadu." Haasan's party is also going to contest the bypolls to 20 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. On a question, whether he is going to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls alone or would prefer to join any alliance, he said, "Such things cannot be said now and it cannot be disclosed to the media. Some sections of media are imagining things."
Kamal Haasan met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the past and also said the AAP leader is an inspiration. He also met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi earlier. Haasan is trying to create space for his newly-formed party in Tamil Nadu where the politics has been revolving around the DMK and the AIADMK. The MNM chief has an opportunity to make some inroads in the bipolar polity of the state after the demise of former chief ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa. Both, the Congress and the BJP are marginal players in the state. Ramadoss-led PMK, Vijayakanth's DMDK and Vaiko's MDMK are also in the fray.
Earlier in February this year, the South Indian superstar has announced his new political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam that roughly translates to People's Justice Centre at a massive function in Madurai. Another superstar Rajinikanth is also likely to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
