Chennai: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has announced that his party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), will not contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election, even after the DMK indicated it was willing to allot two seats.
According to his statement, MNM found both the reduced seat offer and the suggestion to contest on the DMK’s “Rising Sun” symbol unacceptable. Kamal said the “Torch Light” symbol is MNM’s identity and that he could not ignore the sentiments of party members and supporters.
Kamal said MNM will instead extend unconditional support to the DMK-led alliance. After meeting Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at Anna Arivalayam, he told reporters that his decision was driven by a sense of duty and a belief in “selfless politics”, adding that he wanted the present government to continue.
He also said the decision was taken after consultations within the party, and reiterated that he was not focused on the number of seats. Kamal maintained that MNM would offer “strong support from outside” and asserted that decisions regarding the party’s symbol would be made by him.
