Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam forms coordination committee ahead of Lok Sabha polls

“The committee, which will function under my direct supervision, has been provided directions to chart out action plans related to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, implement them and provide directions to other committees,” Haasan said urging the party cadres and functionaries to provide full cooperation to the committee.

In another statement, the party said that since Haasan is scheduled to leave for abroad, he has conducted a meeting with the vice-presidents and general secretary of the party on Tuesday.

It added that they have applied to the Election Commission to allocate them the ‘Torch Symbol’ for the 2024 polls.

Last September, Haasan, during a meeting with his party cadres and functionaries in Coimbatore, had urged them to learn lessons from the previous elections and complete the process of appointing booth committees soon.

The party, which was launched in 2018, drew a blank in both the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections.

The party in the beginning had claimed to be an alternate force to the Dravidian majors – Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — in the state. However, following the exodus of its core members from the party and defeats in the back-to-back elections, MNM altered its stand and extended its support to the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance candidate EVKS Elangovan of the Congress in the Erode by-poll held last year.

Haasan himself campaigned for the senior Congress leader and justified his act by saying that national interest is beyond a party or symbols. He had also participated in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra earlier in December 2022.

Though it is widely speculated that Haasan’s party might join the DMK-led alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party leaders remain tight-lipped about it.