New Delhi [India], July 24 (HBTV): Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and renowned actor Kamal Haasan is set to take oath as a Rajya Sabha MP in Delhi today.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Haasan said, 'I am going to take the oath and register my name in Delhi today. I am going to fulfil this duty with honour given to me as an Indian.'
Kamal Haasan's election to the Upper House marks a significant milestone in his political journey, as he assumes a national legislative role for the first time.
He was nominated with the support of the ruling DMK-led alliance, which had promised him a Rajya Sabha seat in return for MNM's support during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Kamal Haasan filed his nomination on June 6 at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, and DMK allies, including VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, MDMK's Vaiko, and Tamil Nadu Congress chief Selvaperunthagai.
In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, a candidate requires a minimum of 34 votes to win a seat in the Rajya Sabha. With 158 MLAs from the DMK-led INDIA bloc (DMK-133, Congress-17, VCK-4, CPI-2, CPM-2), the alliance was comfortably positioned to secure four seats.
Meanwhile, MNM did not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and instead extended full support to the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. In the 2021 Assembly elections, MNM had secured 2.62 per cent of the vote share.
On June 12, Kamal Haasan, president of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), and five others were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. They received their election certificates from Returning Officer Subramani at the Chennai Secretariat.
The five others elected are DMK's Poet Salma (A Rokkaiah Malik), SR Sivalingam, P Wilson (entering his second term), and AIADMK's IS Inbadurai and Dhanapal.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and other MPs were present during the certificate distribution ceremony.
(ANI)