Actor-politician Kamal Haasan will make his entry into the Rajya Sabha on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ticket. The current party ruling Tamil Nadu has decided to allocate one of its four Rajya Sabha seats to Haasan’s party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).

MNM has already passed a resolution confirming Haasan’s nomination to the Upper House of the Parliament. The DMK formally announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday this week. Three other candidates selected for the Rajya Sabha are senior advocate R. Wilson, poet and writer Salma, and former minister S.R. Sivalingam.

Political Career

Kamal Haasan started his political journey in 2018 with a vision of alternative governance. That year, Haasan formed the centrist regional party in Tamil Nadu, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). He formally announced the party’s formation on February 21, 2018, in Madurai. His party flag displayed six joined hands in a circle in alternate red and white colour, with a white star at the centre and a black background. His party, along with its leader Haasan, began their political journey from the late President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s residence and his memorial at Rameswaram.

His party contested 37 seats in the 2019 Indian general elections but lost. Again in 2021, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections were contested by Haasan’s party from the Coimbatore South seat. Even this election was lost to BJP Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan by a narrow margin.