Kamal Haasan's MNM releases 7-point 'promises for environment' manifesto for Tamil Nadu

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan unveiled the party's seven-point plan detailing promises to conserve the environment if/when the party is elected to power. Addressing a press conference at Salem on Monday, Kamal Haasan vowed to bring strict laws in place to conserve the environment and noted that Tamil Nadu needed industrial growth without compromising on the interests of the farmers. Establishing a circular economy, monitoring and enforcing pollution standards, stringent groundwater regulation, development of an environmental atlas, making progress with sustainable development goals, ensuring local community participation and protection of eco-systems were the ideas listed in MNM's plan for environmental conservation. 

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MNM's promise on environment

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Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam

The Vishwaroopam star had launched his party in a public meeting in Madurai in February 2018, saying that MNM will fill the vacuum in Tamil politics. He also launched his party flag which shows six interlocked hands which symbolised co-operation between the Southern states of India. In the Lok Sabha elections, the party contested 36 seats but did not win any and also failed to open its account in the Tamil Nadu by-polls.

Kamal Haasan has actively started campaigning for polls, and in the first phase of his campaign between December 13-16, Kamal Haasan visited the districts in Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Nellai, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari where he proclaimed that his party will fulfill AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran's dream to establish Madurai as the second capital of Tamil Nadu. The actor-turned-politician titled his campaign- 'Let's Renovate Tamil Nadu'. 

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Tamil Nadu Assembly elections

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are due during April-May 2021 and the political parties have started their campaign. While DMK's MK Stalin is eyeing becoming Chief Minister for the first time, AIADMK has arrived at reconciliation between two warring factions - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS). Incumbent E Palaniswamy has been named as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. The BJP is yet to make a formal announcement of the alliance with AIADMK and is in talks with Stalin's estranged brother MK Alagiri. On the other side, AIADMK has said that they are the big-brother within the NDA alliance. Meanwhile, Kamal Hassan is on a campaign trail and Alagiri has said that the launch of his political party will be in January. Superstar Rajinikanth who was about to launch his party this year has backed out due to health reasons. 

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