Kamal Haasan announces poll plan; talks about alliances, list of candidates

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who has positioned himself as an alternative to Tamil Nadu’s big parties by promising a corruption-free Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), said on Saturday he will start campaigning from next month in the state, where assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 6. “I will start the election campaigning on March 3. I will speak about alliances once it is finalised. The party will announce the first list of candidates on March 7,” Haasan said according to news agency ANI.

The Election Commission of India announced the schedule to the 234-member assembly in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The commission also announced by-polls to the Kanniyakumari parliamentary seat of the southern state on the same date along with assembly elections. The results of the Kanyakumari by-polls, necessitated following the death of Congress lawmaker H Vasanthakumar who died of Covid-19 in August 2020, will be declared on May 2, the poll body said.

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Haasan said earlier this month that there was a possibility of a third front being formed under his leadership for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. The MNM chief also hinted he might consider an invite for an alliance with the DMK if it came directly from the top leadership. "I think it (a third front) may form. The situation is getting conducive. Very soon it may happen,” he told reporters on February 21 when asked whether there was a possibility of formation of the third front under his leadership in the state.

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He also said that his MNM received an invite for forming an alliance with the DMK, indicating an emissary had approached the party. "An invite did come, discussions took place.. everybody was discussing (on their own) but nobody came directly to me (for forming an alliance). But, that (talking directly) is what counts to me… Sending an emissary does not count. We can only accept a question or an answer which comes directly from a party high command," he said according to news agency PTI.

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The MNM last week began week issuing applications to aspirants for the party's tickets for the assembly elections in the state. The ruling AIADMK-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and DMK-Congress led alliances have already launched campaigns for the polls and leaders of the parties have been touring the southern state for some time now.

Haasan’s MNM, which was formed in 2018, enjoys some support in urban areas as evident from his political debut in 2019 where he registered a 3.8% vote share. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have ruled Tamil Nadu alternately since 1967. The 2021 Tamil assembly election will again be a direct contest between the two major Dravidian political forces. However, this time the assembly election will be held without the two stalwarts of Tamil Nadu politics, M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa. The DMK leader died in 2018 and the Jayalalithaa in 2016, leaving a void in the state politics that historically hovered around charismatic leaders with mass appeal.

Voting for the five assembly elections will begin on March 27, the Election Commission announced on Friday with West Bengal set to hold eight-phase polls and Assam three. Counting of votes will be held on May 2.

(With agency inputs)