The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has sealed a seat-sharing deal with the Congress and filmmaker Kamal Haassan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam for Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu.
Kamal Haasan made the announcement of the alliance in Chennai on March 9 “My party and I are not contesting this election. But we will give all cooperation to this alliance. We have joined hands as this is not just for a position, this is for the nation,” Haasan said.
Haasan also met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and state Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin at the DMK office in Chennai. MNM will not contest any seats in Lok Sabha, though.
“Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is not contesting (the Lok Sabha elections), the party will support and campaign. One seat for MNM in Rajya Sabha (in 2025),” said party’s general secretary Arunachalam.
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DMK had been working on a seat-sharing with the Congress, an INDIA bloc ally. The two parties are alliance partners in the Tamil Nadu state government.
Haasan had indicated his leaning towards the DMK-led Congress inclusive alliance in Tamil Nadu several months ago.
Earlier in September last year, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin hinted at his party allying with Hassan’s MNM ahead of the parliamentary polls.
Tamil Nadu sends 39 seats to Lok Sabha. The DMK-led alliance which included the Congress, CPI, CPI (M), Viduthalai Chiruthaikal (VCK) and a host of smaller parties have swept the state by bagging 38 of the 39 seats in 2019. The remaining one seat was won by AIADMK.
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Tamil Nadu is one the states where BJP-led NDA failed to perform well in the last general elections. In 2019, the Lok Sabha polls were held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The result, declared on May 23, saw a landslide victory for the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 303 seats in the 543-member House.
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Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
