MNM to support DMK-Congress candidate in Erode bypolls: Kamal Haasan

This is the first time the actor-politician is extending support to a candidate of another party in the elections

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) led by actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday declared its “unconditional support” to DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the February 27 bypoll to Erode (east) assembly seat on the plank of “defeating” the “communal forces” to protect India’s plurality.

MNM’s support to the SPA in the bypoll is widely seen as the first step towards the fledgling party joining the alliance led by DMK for the 2024 general elections. Speculation on MNM finding a berth in the alliance that has won two successive elections in 2019 and 2021 gained credence after Haasan joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.

After a meeting of the MNM’s Executive Council, Kamal Haasan said he and his party will support E V K S Elangovan, the Congress candidate and grand nephew of social reformer E V R Periyar, in the bypoll. However, the MNM chief said the decision was taken keeping in mind the “present situation” and he will reveal his cards on the party’s stand vis-à-vis 2024 Lok Sabha elections next year.

Also Read | Congress fields former party state chief Elangovan in Erode (east) by-polls

“This is a moment of national importance, and we need to fight against the attempts to impose a monoculture in the country. I believe plurality makes India unique,” Haasan said. The Erode bye-election, which is likely to be a multi-cornered contest with three factions of the AIADMK in the fray, was necessitated due to the death of Elangovan’s son, Tirumahan E Ve Ra.

Chief Minister M K Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) chief K S Alagiri welcomed Kamal Haasan’s decision.

Though Haasan said that he cannot say whether the decision to support the DMK-led alliance will apply to the Lok Sabha elections as well, the actor-politician did give enough hints saying one might have to “erase the line of difference” in the interest of the nation.

“I am willing to sacrifice my little differences and we will come back to our battle again. But that doesn’t mean I will not voice against corruption. That doesn’t mean I will keep quiet. I am not (your) party man, but I am party to a battle. My party is MNM,” he added.

The decision comes two days after a delegation from TNCC met Kamal Haasan and sought the support of MNM, which had polled over 3 per cent votes in the constituency in 2021 polls in Erode (east).

Prof Ramu Manivannan, who taught history at the University of Madras, told DH that Haasan is now confirming his ties with the Congress and throwing hints on the course he may pursue in the future. “He might have realised that power is very important for a party to survive. And the decision (to join the alliance) might be because of the questions being raised about the survival of his party,” he added.

MNM was interested in an alliance with Congress for the 2021 TN assembly polls, but things couldn’t work out because the national party was in an alliance with the DMK, which was also keen on a tie-up with Kamal Haasan. The MNM also suffered a setback after the 2021 elections when several seniors left the party blaming Kamal Haasan for the rout in the polls.

A statement signed by the actor said the MNM doesn’t have “even an iota of doubt” that communal forces should be taken head on and noted that India’s rich diversity is in crisis due to attempts to intrude into people’s food, culture, dress, and identity.

“There is also an attempt to paralyse the functioning of state government by interfering in state’s rights through backdoor manoeuvring and this needs to be challenged. We should let India hear again loudly that Tamil Nadu is the land of equality, brotherhood, and social justice,” the actor added.