Kamal Haasan Nominated by DMK for Rajya Sabha Seat

Prominent Indian actor and founder of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party, Kamal Haasan, is all but confirmed to enter the Rajya Sabha. As part of a pre-existing agreement with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a Rajya Sabha seat has been allocated to the MNM. On Wednesday, the DMK officially announced Kamal Haasan’s candidacy through a public statement.

Elections to fill eight vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha are scheduled for June 19. These include six seats from Tamil Nadu and two from Assam. Given that the DMK holds 134 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, it is projected to secure four of the six seats, with the remaining two likely to go to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

In this context, the DMK announced its four candidates on Wednesday. Kamal Haasan is among them, alongside current Rajya Sabha member Wilson, acclaimed writer Salma, and S.R. Sivalingam. This makes Kamal Haasan's entry into the Rajya Sabha virtually certain.

During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kamal Haasan extended support to the INDIA bloc through his MNM party. Reports from Tamil media suggest that an agreement was reached between the DMK and MNM at that time. According to these reports, Kamal Haasan was offered a choice between contesting for the Lok Sabha or being nominated to the Rajya Sabha. He ultimately opted for the latter.

Kamal Haasan founded the Makkal Needhi Maiam party on February 21, 2018. Despite contesting multiple elections since its inception, the MNM has struggled to make a significant electoral impact. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party did not win any seats but secured a 3.72 percent vote share across the state.