The actor who traded the silver screen for the political arena
In short: In 2018, cinema icon Kamal Haasan launched the Makkal Needhi Maiam, aiming to reshape Tamil Nadu politics. While the party's flag promises cooperation across Southern India, its journey from a solo challenger to a strategic ally reveals the complex mechanics of regional power.
Founded on 21 February 2018 in Madurai, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) entered the political landscape with a distinct visual identity. Its flag features six interlocked hands, a symbol intended to represent cooperation between five Indian states and one union territory. The party's election symbol, a battery torchlight, accompanies a platform that has utilized modern tools like the 'Maiam Whistle' mobile application for public whistleblowing.
The party's initial electoral performance in the 2019 Indian general election highlighted a sharp divide between urban and rural support. Contesting 40 seats—39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry—the MNM secured a 3.72% vote share. In urban centers like Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai, the party performed strongly, polling between 8.5% and 12.5%. However, in rural constituencies, the party struggled, often falling behind the Naam Tamilar Katchi, while the DMK and AIADMK fronts dominated the top positions.
Despite individual successes, such as Vice-President Dr. R. Mahendran securing 145,104 votes in Coimbatore, the party faced significant setbacks. In the 2019 elections, all MNM candidates lost their deposits. During the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, the party ran candidates in 142 constituencies but failed to win any seats. Notably, Kamal Haasan himself lost the Coimbatore South constituency to the BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan by a margin of 1,728 votes. In a significant shift in strategy, the party later moved toward alignment with larger blocs, eventually submitting itself to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 2024.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Makkal Needhi Maiam
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