MNM chief Kamal Haasan files his nomination for Rajya Sabha at TN Secretariat in presence CM MK Stalin

NEW DELHI: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President and actor Kamal Haasan on Friday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in the presence of DMK president and chief minister MK Stalin, and deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin. The event was attended by leaders from DMK allies including VCK's Thol Thirumavalavan, MDMK's Vaiko, and Tamil Nadu Congress chief Selvaperundagai.The nomination comes after DMK allocated one Rajya Sabha seat to MNM, following the party’s support for the DMK-led INDIA bloc during the recent Lok Sabha elections. Haasan’s nomination fulfills the DMK's promise of a Rajya Sabha seat in return.In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, a candidate needs at least 34 votes to secure a Rajya Sabha seat.

With 158 MLAs (DMK: 133, Congress: 17, VCK: 4, CPI: 2, CPM: 2), the INDIA bloc is poised to comfortably secure four of the six seats up for grabs. DMK has fielded three candidates: writer Salma, Advocate P Wilson, and SR Sivalingam.Kamal Haasan launched MNM at a public meeting in Madurai in 2018. While the party did not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it had polled 2.62% votes in the 2021 state Assembly elections.The actor’s political milestone coincided with the release of his latest film ‘Thug Life’, which hit theatres earlier the same day.

Fans gathered in large numbers at cinema halls, waving banners and breaking into celebratory dances.Haasan, visibly moved by the fan reception, said: “It is true that working with him (Mani Ratnam) was a pleasure for me. I would like to thank Tamil Nadu and its people for their unwavering support.”Directed by Mani Ratnam, Thug Life marks a highly anticipated reunion between the filmmaker and Haasan after nearly four decades. The film features an ensemble cast including Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Ali Fazal, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf.

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