Kamal Haasan to be Makkal Needhi Maiam's 'permanent' president, resolves party

With state Assembly poll likely in next 2 months, MNM urged the Election Commission to prevent distribution of money and gifts and ensure free and fair polls

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) on Thursday announced that its leader Kamal Haasan will be the “permanent president” of the party and delegated the powers to decide on the election strategy and alliance to him. The decisions were taken at the first General Council (GC) meeting of the MNM since its inception in 2018.

Holding a torchlight, the election symbol of his party, Kamal Haasan made his first public appearance on Thursday after a “follow-up” surgery he underwent in his leg last month. The meeting was expected to make an announcement whether the MNM will contest the April-May assembly polls alone or as part of an alliance. However, no decision in this regard was taken.

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The GC passed 25 resolutions, including asking the administration to release a White Paper on the debts of the Tamil Nadu government and exerting pressure on the Centre to ensure the release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

“Thalaivar (President) Kamal Haasan has accepted the demand of all members of the General Council that he be the permanent president of the Makkal Needhi Maiam, having devoted all his fame, and experience to do better for the people of Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, Kamal Haasan will be the permanent president of the party from today (February 11),” one of the resolutions read.

The GC also authorised Kamal Haasan to take decisions regarding party's electoral strategy and alliance. “Everyone should work with the single-point agenda of winning the 2021 assembly elections and ensure that Kamal Haasan becomes the Chief Minister,” the resolutions signed by former bureaucrat and party's general secretary Santhosh Babu said.

The GC also lauded Kamal Haasan for “successfully completing” the first leg of his campaign for the assembly polls. MNM projects itself as an alternative to the Dravidian majors – DMK and AIADMK – who have ruled the state since 1967. The party scored around 3.75 percent of votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.