Actor Kamal's MNM to support DMK-led front in LS polls, gets one RS seat

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan's Makkal Neethi Maiam (MNM) on Saturday was allotted a Rajya Sabha seat, while deciding to extend support to the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Though reports had been doing the rounds for quite some time that MNM will ally with the DMK-led Front in the Lok Sabha polls considering that Kamal shared a close rapport with DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, it has now been officially announced that both the parties will jointly campaign in the Parliamentary polls.

It has also been reported that Kamal, who had unsuccessfully contested in the 2021 Assembly elections from Coimbatore South and lost by a narrow 1,728 vote margin to BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan, has been eyeing at least two Lok Sabha seats, including the Coimbatore seat from where Kamal is looking to contest.

A seat sharing agreement was signed between Mr Stalin and Kamal after the latter called on the former at the DMK Headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam'. As per the agreement, though no Lok Sabha seats were allotted to MNM, it has been decided to allot one seat in the 2025 Rajya Sabha polls from which Kamal is likely to enter the Upper House of Parliament. It has also been decided that MNM will campaign for the DMK-led Front in the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

After facing the 2019 Lok Sabha and the 2021 Assembly polls alone, this was for the first time Kamal has entered into an alliance ever since he floated the MNM in February 2018.Talking to reporters after signing the pact, Kamal said MNM will campaign for the victory of the INDIA bloc candidates in all the 40 constituencies, including Puducherry, and defeat the communal forces.

The DMK had already inked the seat sharing pact with six of its allies allotting one seat each to the MDMK, VCK, IUML and KMDK and two seats each to the Left parties--the CPI and CPI-M. While the Constituencies to be contested by VCK, IUML, KMDK were identified, the seats to be contested by the two Left parties are yet to be announced, with CPI(M) evincing keen interest to contest again from the Coimbatore seat won by it in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The lone seat to be contested by MDMK is also likely to be announced soon. Now that the pact has been signed with the MNM, the DMK has got the much needed breathing space to accommodate the demand of its key ally, the Congress,while the CPI(M) in all likelihood to be allotted the Coimbatore seat again.

After the first round of seat sharing talks the Congress had with the DMK team on January 28, there has been no further progress though the National party has been stating that there was no hitch and the seat sharing deal will soon be finalised.

After the first round of talks, the Congress said the discussions centred on how to face and defeat the BJP and Principal Opposition AIADMK and win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats (39 in TN and one in adjoining Union Territory of Puducherry),and on on how to keep the alliance partners happy, in the ensuing elections. Earlier before the seat sharing talks started, it has been said that the Congress was keen on contesting in 12 seats.

It may be recalled that the Congress was allotted 10 seats in the 2019 Parliamentary elections and it won nine seats, losing the Theni seat to the AIADMK--the only seat won by it--as the DMK-led front swept the polls winning 39 of the 40 seats.Apart from the Congress, the other partners in the DMK-led Front included the MDMK, VCK, the Left Parties--CPI and CPI(M)--and other outfits including the IUML, KMDK and TVK.

With the MNM settling for a Rajya Sabha seat, the DMK was expected to wrap up the seat sharing deal with the Congress in one or two days and the National party is likely to be allotted 10 seats, the same number allotted in 2019 polls.The AICC has already deputed a team to hold talks with the DMK and finalise the seat sharing agreement. The talks are likely to be held either this evening or rpt or Sunday.

While the DMK-led Front had already taken a lead and has been clinching seat sharing deal with its allies, the AIADMK, which had already snapped its ties with the BJP and walked out of the BJP-led NDA, has been reiterating to form a good alliance to face the Lok Sabha polls and held talks with late actor Vijayakanth's DMDK, Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) and Tamil Maanila Congress of former Union Minister G.K.Vasan.

The AIADMK so far has confirmed the alliance only with the PT, though no seat sharing deal was announced.The BJP, though keen on reviving the ties with the AIADMK, too has been exuding confidence of forming a grand alliance and was in talks with potential allies.(UNI)<>