Kamal Haasan to announce MNM's alliance partners soon ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly polls

Ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections which are likely to be held in April-May next year, actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan has asserted that he will "definitely" contest the upcoming elections.

"There are various criticisms against the ruling party, which has refused us permission to campaign because of the growing support for us. Since Madurai is the closest town for me, I started campaigning here and will definitely contest the Assembly elections," the actor-turned-politician said.

On the issue of allying with another party to emerge as a third front in the state, he called it a 'party secret' and said, "It will not be good to divulge it now. We will announce it soon."

The actor-turned-politician, who visited Madurai as a part of his election campaigning, met businessmen and advocates at a private hotel on the second day of his visit to the city.

Speaking about the entry of Rajinikanth in politics and over the possibility of forming an alliance with him, Kamal Haasan said, "We both had clear separate paths which we pursued... We will have to wait till December 31 to answer it further. We were not competitors even in the film industry but an impression had been created to suggest that we are rivals."

While Kamal Haasan has already set out for campaigning in view of the upcoming elections, Rajinikanth who announced his entry days ago will announce the name of his party on December 31. Haasan who formed his party in 2018 has been witnessed massive defeats by failing to open its account in 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the Tamil Nadu by-polls.

READ | Kamal Haasan Questions PM Modi On Rationale Behind New Parliament Building Amid COVID-19

READ | Kamal Haasan Wants Anti-corruption Day Every Day For Next 3 Generations To 'clear Filth'

Political temperature soaring in Tamil Nadu

The two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. With AIADMK announcing a coalition with BJP, the saffron party is reportedly in talks with MK Stalin's estranged brother - Alagiri and superstar Rajinikanth - who has often praised PM Modi. Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats. Polls will be held in April-May 2021.

(With ANI inputs)

READ | Kamal Haasan's MNM Reaches Farmer Protest At Delhi Border; Says It's A Pan-India Movement

READ | MNM's Kamal Haasan To Sound Tamil Nadu Poll Bugle From December 13; Announces 4-day Tour