Chennai: Actor and politician Kamal Haasan announced on Wednesday his party Makkal Needhi Maiam is ready to contest by-elections to 20 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, whenever they are held.
“No one is sure when or whether the bypolls will be held. However, we are ready to contest the polls as and when they are held,” Haasan told reporters on his 64th birthday.
Questioned whether his party, which was formed in December this year, would be up for the political battle, the actor said MNM had already filled more than 80 per cent of the posts at the field level in all these 20 constituencies.
The Madras High Court had cleared the decks for the bypolls in the state last month after it upheld the disqualification of 18 legislators loyal to rebel AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran under the anti-defection law.
Apart from the 18 seats previously represented by them, two more – Tiruvarur and Thiruparankundram – will go to polls as they fell vacant following the deaths of M Karunanidhi and A K Bose respectively.
The bypolls have been billed as the acid test for the popularity of the EPS-OPS government in the state since the outcome could decide the fate of their government.
The DMK and its allies together have 97 MLAs (DMK 88, Congress 8 and IUML 1) in the Tamil Nadu assembly while the ruling AIADMK has 116 (including Speaker P Dhanapal) in the 234-member House.
Haasan, who has never spoken openly on whether he would ally with anyone, said he was not making any promises at this stage. “I am not the one who believes in making promises. I am seeking suggestions from people,” he added.
Kamal said he was a tool of the people and not that of any political party or a group. “If corruption is removed, measures taken through every state government department will flourish,” Kamal said.