Kamal Haasan’s probable entry into Rajya Sabha: A new political chapter?

Veteran actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan appears poised to make his parliamentary debut through the Rajya Sabha, as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has allocated one of its seats to MNM for the upcoming biennial polls on June 19. This move marks a potentially significant shift in the trajectory of Haasan’s political journey, which, until now, has been marked by electoral setbacks and strategic recalibrations.

Kamal Haasan Rajya Sabha Entry: From silver screen to political stage

Kamal Haasan launched Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2018 with a promise to offer a clean and people-centric alternative in Tamil Nadu politics. However, the party has struggled to make a strong electoral impact. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, MNM contested 36 seats across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry but secured only about 4% of the vote share.

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Two years later, in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, the party fielded candidates in all 234 constituencies. Despite a more aggressive campaign, MNM could not win a single seat but managed to secure 12,10,002 votes—roughly 2.6% of the total vote share. Haasan himself contested from Coimbatore South and lost narrowly to BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan, the National President of the party’s Mahila Morcha.

Strategic shifts and political alliances

Haasan made headlines when he joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the Tamil Nadu leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in December 2022 signaling MNM’s growing proximity to the national opposition bloc. However, his decision to opt out of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections came as a disappointment to many within his party's ranks, leading to internal discontent and uncertainty over the MNM’s immediate political direction.

Rajya Sabha: A political reboot?

With the DMK now officially allocating a Rajya Sabha seat to MNM, Kamal Haasan’s entry into the upper house seems imminent. This development can be seen as both a reward for MNM’s support during critical political junctures and a strategic move to broaden the ruling alliance’s appeal. For Haasan, it represents an opportunity to engage with national politics from a legislative platform, offering him visibility and influence without the volatility of direct electoral contests.