Kamal Haasan Poised for Rajya Sabha Debut: DMK Confirms Candidacy in Strategic Political Move
Celebrated Indian film icon and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan is set to make his parliamentary debut, with his nomination to the Rajya Sabha now all but official. The announcement came on Wednesday from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), fulfilling a political pact forged during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled for June 19, will fill eight vacant seats — six from Tamil Nadu and two from Assam. With 134 members in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the DMK is in a strong position to claim four of the six Tamil Nadu seats. The remaining two are expected to go to the AIADMK.
Kamal Haasan was named among the DMK’s four Rajya Sabha candidates, alongside incumbent member P. Wilson, renowned author Salma, and party veteran S.R. Sivalingam. With the numbers stacked in the DMK’s favor, Haasan’s entry into the upper house of Parliament is virtually guaranteed.
This political development traces back to an understanding reached between the DMK and MNM during the 2024 general elections. Reports from Tamil news outlets suggest that Kamal Haasan was presented with two options: run for a Lok Sabha seat or accept a Rajya Sabha nomination. Opting for the latter, Haasan appears ready to embrace a new chapter in his public life — one rooted more in policymaking than in cinematic storytelling.
Kamal Haasan launched Makkal Needhi Maiam on February 21, 2018, with the aim of introducing a fresh, centrist voice to Tamil Nadu politics. While the party has yet to translate its vision into electoral victories — securing no seats but garnering a modest 3.72% vote share in the 2019 general elections — Haasan’s presence in the Rajya Sabha could signal a new direction for both MNM and its role in national politics.
As an actor, director, and social thinker, Kamal Haasan has long straddled art and activism. Now, with a Rajya Sabha seat within reach, he may finally get the platform he has sought to influence Indian politics on a larger scale.
