Kamal Haasan, actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder, on Friday, made his debut in Parliament by taking oath as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.
The 69-year-old Tamil actor took his oath in Tamil to resounding thumps on the table by fellow MPs.
Delivering his oath, the actor-turned politician underscored his cultural roots and civic commitment, saying, “As an Indian, I will do my duty.”
Kamal Haasan’s entry into the Rajya Sabha marks a significant milestone in a political journey that began with idealistic fervour and has evolved into strategic pragmatism.
Earlier, talking to mediapersons outside Parliament, the actor said, “I am very proud and honoured.”
Kamal Haasan floated the MNM, a political party, in February 2018, positioning it as a centrist, non-Dravidian alternative to the dominant DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam).
He was nominated with the support of the ruling DMK-led alliance. With its support, the alliance fulfilled the promise it had made to him 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 CM 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, instead of contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the MNM extended full support to the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party secured 2.62 per cent of the vote share.
On June 12, the president of the MNM, and five others were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. They received election certificates from the Returning Officer Subramani at the Chennai Secretariat.
The other five who got elected are DMK’s Poet Salma (A Rokkaiah Malik), SR Sivalingam, P Wilson (who enters 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.