Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Sep 20: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan expressed confidence that his party will send legislators to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2026, while conducting consultations with party functionaries from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

“This consultation is to identify stronger constituencies and further strengthen them so that it will be useful for everyone. We are confident of sending MLAs to the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2026. We are working for it,” Haasan told NDTV.

Launched in 2018 as an alternative to the Dravidian parties, MNM is now preparing for its first major electoral foray as an ally of the ruling DMK. Despite not winning any seats so far, including Haasan’s narrow defeat to BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan in Coimbatore South in 2021, the party is focusing on consolidation and long-term growth.

Haasan also emphasised that MNM workers should balance political work with their livelihoods. “All I am asking is designated hours. They must live off their earnings and then work for the sake of the nation—not the other way around,” he said.

Turning to national politics, Haasan urged the Election Commission to investigate Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “vote theft” allegations, asserting that the poll body should probe the matter.

Haasan allied with the DMK ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to counter the BJP, a partnership that earned him a Rajya Sabha seat, reflecting recognition of his support.