Sarath Kumar meets Kamal, expresses wish to join hands with like-minded parties
A day after the election dates for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls were announced, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan held talks with All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) leader-actor Sarath Kumar, on Saturday, hinting at the formation of third
“I have travelled with AIADMK for the past 10 years and even Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami last week said that all the alliance partners are intact and Samathuva Makkal Katchi is also with AIADMK. However, there is a time limit for everything,” Sarath Kumar, who was in the AIADMK alliance and former MLA, said after meeting Kamal Haasan.
Hinting at a third front in the upcoming polls, Sarath Kumar added that AISMK has decided to form alliance with good people with similar ideology. It may be noted that Sarath Kumar had met former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa’s confidante VK Sasikala on former’s birthday.
Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan inducted former MLA Pala Karuppaiah into the party, and said he will contest in the upcoming polls. Pala Karuppiah was elected as an AIADMK MLA from the Harbour constituency in 2011.
However, Pala Karuppiah was expelled from AIADMK by Jayalalithaa in 2016. In the same year, Karuppiah joined DMK but quit the party in 2019. The MNM chief also announced a poll tie-up with Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, an NGO, which fights against corruption.
“The first list of candidates for the party will be released on March 7. For the people who were thinking that there are many days ahead for elections, now it’s clear that we just have 36 days and it is good that MNM is ready with its preparations, “Kamal Haasan said while inducting Pala Karupaiah at the party headquarters.
He added that there are several candidates showing interest to contest in the polls. “We will start the candidate interview on March 1. The MNM members including Pala Karuppiah, Ponraj, Rangarajan IAS and Senthil Arumugam will interview the candidates. The first candidate list will be out on March 7.”
Kamal Haasan will also start the next leg of campaigning for the party on March 3.