Tamil Nadu polls: Why Kamal Haasan's party decided not to field candidates

In a suprise move weeks before the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, veteran actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan announced on Tuesday (March 24) that his party will not field any candidates in the upcoming polls and will instead extend “unconditional support” to the ruling DMK-led alliance.

In a terse Tamil tweet, Haasan declared: “This is not sacrifice; it is duty. Not self-interest; it is patience.” He tagged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, signalling complete alignment with the DMK.

Talks collapsed

The decision comes after weeks of intense seat-sharing talks between MNM and the DMK collapsed. Sources close to both parties confirmed that MNM had initially sought 12 Assembly seats a “respectable” share to maintain its identity as a distinct ally. The DMK countered with an offer of just two seats, but with a non-negotiable condition: MNM candidates must contest under the DMK’s official 'Rising Sun' symbol rather than MNM’s own 'Battery Torch' symbol allotted by the Election Commission.

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Haasan’s party viewed the symbol demand as unacceptable, arguing it would erase MNM’s independent political identity. When the DMK refused to budge, MNM chose to withdraw entirely from direct contest rather than accept what it saw as a humiliating compromise. “We are not contesting the elections directly. We are supporting the DMK alliance candidates unconditionally,” Haasan said in a media release later.

Poor show in 2019 polls

Kamal Haasan, 71, one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars, entered politics in 2018 by founding MNM as a centrist, secular alternative to Dravidian politics. The party positioned itself as “neo-polity culturalist,” emphasising honesty, social justice and anti-corruption without aligning strictly with either the DMK or AIADMK. But MNM’s independent run did not go as planned.

Haasan’s party viewed the symbol demand as unacceptable, arguing it would erase MNM’s independent political identity.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it contested all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu but won none. In the 2021 Assembly elections, it fielded 154 candidates and secured only around 3.7% of the vote share again, and zero seats.

Despite the setbacks, the party retained a loyal urban and semi-urban base and positioned itself as a potential kingmaker. The turning point came ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. MNM formally extended support to the DMK-led INDIA Bloc. In return, the DMK allotted MNM one Rajya Sabha seat. Haasan filed his nomination in June 2025 at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in the presence of Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin. He took oath as a Rajya Sabha MP on July 25, 2025 the first time the actor held elected office at the national level. The Rajya Sabha seat was widely seen as a reward for MNM’s loyalty and a bridge for deeper alliance.

Demands from other allies too

Seat-sharing talks for the 2026 Assembly polls began in earnest in early March. MNM pitched for 12–15 seats, focusing on urban constituencies where it had performed relatively better in the past. Two rounds of formal discussions were held at the DMK headquarters. The DMK, already managing demands from Congress, CPI, CPM and other smaller allies, offered only two seats and insisted on the Rising Sun symbol to ensure unified branding under the DMK umbrella.

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A senior DMK leader said about the party’s stance: “Two seats were offered as a gesture of respect, but all alliance partners must project unity. The Rising Sun symbol ensures voters see a single, strong front against the opposition.”

'Kamal will be the star campaigner'

MNM leaders countered that contesting under another party’s symbol would dilute their hard-earned identity and demoralise cadres who had worked for eight years to build the party. When the gap proved unbridgeable, Haasan took the call to step back completely. Party sources say he told his core team: “This is not about seats or symbols anymore. It is about preventing divisive forces from gaining ground. The DMK alliance continuing in power is in the best interest of the state and the country.”

MNM leaders countered that contesting under another party’s symbol would dilute their hard-earned identity and demoralise cadres who had worked for eight years to build the party

Kamal is expected to campaign vigorously across Tamil Nadu as a star campaigner for the DMK alliance, a role that senior DMK leaders say will be far more impactful than the MNM's fielding of candidates in just two seats. “If we had accepted two seats under the Rising Sun, Kamal would have been restricted to campaigning only in those two constituencies,” a senior DMK functionary noted. “Now he will address the entire state. It is a win-win for the alliance.”