Kamal Haasan confirms MNM will contest all 40 seats alone

COIMBATORE: Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam will field its own candidates in all the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, a decision that stands as of now.
The actor politician told reporters at Coimbatore airport on Thursday, before leaving for Chennai after a two-day meeting with party functionaries at Pollachi, that MNM had decided to contest all the constituencies in TN and Puducherry on its own. “That is what we have decided,” he said to a query.

Categorically ruling out an alliance with the AIADMK and the DMK, he said there were no alliance talks with Congress either. He indicated that the party was not keen on a tie-up with T T V Dhinakaran’s AMMK as well. “We aim to serve the people of Tamil Nadu with a clean hand. So, we do not want to stain our hands,” he said.

Kamal said he has been opposing the AIADMK right from the time he launched his party, so there was no question of aligning with ruling party. Kamal said his expectation was to win in all the constituencies. “Our preparations are also towards achieving that end. But it is the people’s decision ultimately,” he said.

In an interview to a news channel, he urged parties like PMK, DMDK and TMC not to extend support to AIADMK and DMK, perhaps hinting at his willingness to be part of a minor third front.

Kamal Haasan had in the past said fledgling MNM would ally with like-minded parties for the Lok Sabha polls. He had even met Congress president Rahul Gandhi, setting off speculation of a possible alliance with the national party. But, with the Congress firm in its alliance with the DMK and Kamal Haasan ruling out a tie-up with the Dravidian party, the only course left for MNM is to take the solo path. TOI had on February 5 first reported that Kamal Haasan’s MNM would fight the elections alone.

Wedding invite from Rajini: Actor Rajinikanth on Thursday met Kamal Haasan at the latter’s office in Alwarpet and extended an invitation to his daughter Soundarya’s wedding, scheduled to take place on February 11 in the city. Rajinikanth later met state information minister Kadambur S Raju at the latter’s residence on Greenways Road and invited him to the wedding too.