Kamal Haasan to contest from Coimbatore South

Veteran Tamil movie actor and founder of the fledgeling Makkal Needhi Maiam Kamal Haasan will be contesting the upcoming state Assembly polls from the Coimbatore South constituency. He made the announcement while releasing his party’s second list of candidates.
The past two Assembly polls saw the seat being won by the ruling AIADMK, with the Amman K Arjunan being the current incumbent.

Among other names declared in MNM’s second list are Dr Subha Charles from Kanniyakumari, Dr R Mahendran (Singanallur), Dr Santosh Babu (Velacherry), and Pazha Karupiah (T Nagar). Alandur has been allotted to Sharad Babu. On Wednesday, MNM had released the first list of 70 candidates for the polls.

The MNM has struck an alliance with actor Sarathkumar’s All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi and Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi. Both allies will contest in 40 seats each, while it looks out in 154 seats. It secured around 4 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, with its share going as high as 10 per cent in the urban pockets.

The party has adopted a unique online ticket distribution system for people to apply as candidates, followed by interviews of the shortlisted ones to be finally fielded in the election.

The thespian launched the MNM in 2018, but the party has been one of the earliest to hit the campaign trail despite being a newbie. It is raising corruption, jobs, developing villages, and e-governance as key planks. It has promised salaries to homemakers and free computers with internet to all homes.