Kamal Haasan’s political party Makkal Needhi Maiam is likely to field a candidate for the Tiruvarur bye-polls, scheduled for January 28. The by-poll was necessitated by the death of former DMK president M. Karunanidhi.
“The by-election has come at the right time. With just a few months to go for the Lok Sabha polls, we want our leader to contest the elections. Or he should at least field a candidate. We are confident that we can win a sizeable number of votes. It would give a boost for us to work tirelessly in the general elections,” said a source from MNM in a News Today report.
The source also recalled a by-poll election in Dindigul in 1973, when AIADMK’s nominee Maya Thevar won the polls. The source said, “We will try to repeat the act in Tiruvarur. We are optimistic that if Kamal Haasan camps in Tiruvarur and campaigns vigorously, we can create an impact.”
As major political parties are contemplating alliances and devising strategies, a victory for MNM in the Tiruvarur by-polls will make these parties sit up and take notice. “We will be in their scheme of things,” says MNM.
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Tiruvarur was one of the worst affected districts by cyclone Gaja. As a part of Gaja relief work, the actor has visited the area and met affected people. He has also criticized the government’s lackadaisical approach in providing support for relief.
He tweeted, “After visiting places affected by Gaja cyclone, the politicians who shamelessly lie to the media that the damage is not great, must be declared our national disaster.”
All that we have done thus far is merely first-aid, he said: “We must do more in the next eight years to make sure that those affected are rehabilitated. We should leave our political biases behind and wholeheartedly work towards making sure that the people’s problems are solved.”