Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) has announced that his party will not be contesting upcoming Assembly election in the
state and instead would support Chief Minister MK Stalin and incumbent ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Announcing the decision to not contest polls, MNM chief Kamal Haasan said, "We will support them very strongly from outside. We will win... They (party cadre) know my vision. They follow my vision... We are centrists. We know that we will not lean." Tamil Nadu Assembly election will take place in single phase on April 23 on all 234 constituencies and the counting of votes is set for May 4. Along with Tamil Nadu, three more states including West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and one Union Territory Puducherry are also heading for assembly elections, on different dates. The results of all the elections will be declared simultaneously on May 4.
How TN CM MK Stalin React To Kamal Haasan's Opting Out of TN Polls
Haasan has declared that his party will not fight polls but extend unconditional support to all the candidates of the DMK-led alliance and the move was hailed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin as "magnanimous decision setting aside self-interest with dignity and prioritise the welfare of Tamil Nadu."
"I don't know how to express my gratitude to him. His decision has deeply moved me," Stalin, who is the president of the DMK, said and thanked Haasan. He requested "brother Kamal Haasan" to campaign across Tamil Nadu for the April 23 polls.
Haasan, who called on the chief minister and conveyed his decision on Tuesday evening, said in a statement: "In today's difficult political environment, the number of seats that they (DMK) have promised to give us and the suggestion that we should contest under the Rising Sun symbol are not acceptable to the members of the MNM and to me."
Haasan said in politics, election is only a part and it is not final; there is no 'full stop' in politics.
MNM Joined DMK-led Alliance During 2024 Lok Sabha Polls
The MNM joined the DMK-led alliance during the last parliamentary election for the good of the nation. "We worked hard for the alliance's success. As a result, the voice of Makkal Needhi Maiam was heard in the Rajya Sabha. From that day till today, we have maintained the alliance dharma without giving up our uniqueness," he said.
The chief minister and other leaders in the DMK "behaved with love, respect, and friendliness" towards him during the seat-sharing negotiations for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
"I fully understand that there is justification for it on their part. In an environment where communal forces are scheming in every way to somehow capture Tamil Nadu, the overall chance of victory of the alliance is paramount. And it is justified," Haasan said.
But the bond of MNM members with the party's "torch" symbol is emotional because it is not just a symbol for them but is their "identity." "I cannot and will not ignore the feelings of my workers who have been travelling with me for the last nine years without any gain," he said.
The decision to abstain from poll fray was "not sacrifice but a duty" and through this he has planted the seeds of a new political civilisation. "Proudly rejecting what the chief minister lovingly offers is also a form of love," he said and added that he gave up the seats for the progress of Tamil Nadu, and for the formation of a Dravidian Model 2.0 government which was the need of the hour.
With inputs from Agencies
