In preparation for the Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has inked a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress and Makkal Needhi Maiam, filmmaker Kamal Haassan’s party in Tamil Nadu
“Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam Joins Alliance, Bypasses Lok Sabha Elections for 2024”
On March 9, Kamal Haasan announced the alliance in Chennai “My party and I are not contesting this election. But we will give all cooperation to this alliance. We have joined hands as this is not just for a position, this is for the nation,” Hassan said.
At the DMK headquarters in Chennai, Haasan also had meetings with state minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and chief minister MK Stalin of Tamil Nadu. However, MNM will not run for any Lok Sabha seats.
“Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is not contesting (the Lok Sabha elections), the party will support and campaign. One seat for MNM in Rajya Sabha (in 2025),” said party’s general secretary Arunachalam.
MNM announces alliance with DMK for #Election2024, prioritizing national interests and potential threats under BJP's return to power.
As our Leader @ikamalhaasan said , "We will come back to battle again for the state." 🔥#LeaderSpeaks #MNM #KamalHaasan #Election2024 https://t.co/yMi70eTBLU pic.twitter.com/alJFIcB0Qw
— MAIAM WAVE 2024|2026 (@Maiam_Wave) March 9, 2024
“Political Chess: DMK and MNM Dance Around Alliance Dynamics Ahead of Elections”
With the Congress, an ally of the INDIA bloc, the DMK had been negotiating a seat-sharing arrangement. In the Tamil Nadu state government, the two parties form an alliance. Many months ago, Haasan had hinted that he was leaning toward the Congress inclusive alliance in Tamil Nadu, led by the DMK. Prior to the parliamentary elections in September of last year, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the leader of the DMK and a minister for Tamil Nadu, made hints about his party’s potential alliance with Hassan’s MNM.
Also Read: Congress taken aback as prominent Madhya Pradesh leaders join the BJP
“Tamil Nadu’s Political Landscape: DMK Dominance and BJP’s Electoral Challenges”
39 Lok Sabha seats are sent by Tamil Nadu. 38 of the 39 seats in the state were won by the DMK-led coalition in 2019, which also included the Congress, CPI, CPI (M), Viduthalai Chiruthaikal (VCK), and numerous smaller parties. AIADMK won the last available seat.
One of the states where the BJP-led NDA did not fare well in the most recent general elections is Tamil Nadu. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections took place over seven days, from April 11 to May 19. With 303 seats in the 543-member House, the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi won by a landslide, according to the results released on May 23.
