With DMK allocating one Rajya Sabha seat to Makkal Needhi Maiyam, its founder and actor Kamal Haasan has been named the candidate for the Upper House of the Parliament.
Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) leader Murali Appas said, "We have passed a resolution to elect Kamal Haasan as a Rajya Sabha member from Makkal Needhi Maiam party."
Besides, the ruling DMK combine has named its three candidates for the Rajya Sabha election scheduled for June 19 this year. According to a release of the DMK, Salma, Advocate P Wilson, and SR Sivalingam are its candidates.In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, each candidate requires a minimum of 34 votes to clinch a Rajya Sabha seat. The DMK-led INDIA bloc, with 158 MLAs (DMK: 133, Congress:17, VCK: 4, CPI: 2, CPM: 2), is poised to win four seats comfortably.
Actor Kamal Haasan launched Makkal Needhi Miam at a public meeting in Madurai in 2018. Makkal Needhi Miam did not contest in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, and instead it campaigned for the DMK-led INDIA bloc in the State. In return, the DMK had promised a Rajya Sabha seat for the party.
Makkal Needhi Miam had secured 2.62% of the votes in the 2021 State Assembly election.