Kamal’s friendship with Congress might help him join DMK alliance

A berth in the DMK alliance for 2024 Lok Sabha polls might help Haasan's party gain significance once again

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan joining the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra and his bonhomie with Rahul Gandhi during a freewheeling dialogue on “national issues” might hasten the process of his Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) joining the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu.

Kamal Haasan, who made his political debut in 2018 by projecting himself as a change agent, took the center stage at a meeting attended by Rahul Gandhi as the nation-wide yatra entered the national capital on December 24.

If the invitation to Kamal Haasan from the Congress led to speculation whether the two were coming together, the importance given to the actor during the yatra only added more credence to the rumour.

Sources in the Congress told DH that the party decided to have Kamal Haasan as a “special guest” as he is on the “same page” with Rahul Gandhi on several ideological issues, especially hate politics and assault on democratic institutions.

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“Kamal mirrors Rahul views on issues of national importance and has voiced his opinion against communalism and erosion of democratic values by the BJP. It is not just the anti-BJP stand that made us invite Kamal, but also because there is a convergence of ideology with him,” a senior Congress leader told DH.

He added that the actor-politician had always evinced interest in working with the Congress since 2018 but the latter’s political compulsions did not allow any such arrangement.

“Kamal, in fact, was interested in an alliance with Congress for the 2021 TN assembly polls but we were an integral part of the DMK combine and we couldn’t work with him. Now, we believe he has understood how politics works,” the leader said, referring to MNM drawing a blank in the elections with the actor himself losing his seat.

After the polls, Kamal Haasan suffered a series of setbacks when all his trusted lieutenants including ex-bureaucrat Santhosh Babu, R Mahendran, and C K Kumaravel, quit the party, blaming him for the defeat.

The MNM didn’t do well in the civic polls as well, and Kamal Haasan has not been seen in any major public protest since then – a berth in the DMK alliance for 2024 Lok Sabha polls might help his party gain significance once again.

Another leader said not just the Congress, also the DMK, was willing to take MNM into the alliance for the 2021 polls but “unreasonable” demand on the number of seats by the latter spoiled the plans.

“By inviting Kamal to a national event, the Congress has given him an indirect message and has thrown a lot of hints. He should get the hints. Only he got to share the dais with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and that is the message,” the leader added.

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A source in the MNM said the possibility of Kamal Haasan’s participation in the yatra turning into an electoral alliance is 50:50.

“We don’t want to speculate on alliance now as elections are over a year away. We don’t deny that there is ideological convergence between Kamal and Rahul. Yes, there are contradictions too. For now, Kamal’s participation in Bharat Jodo Yatra is to extend support to Rahul in his efforts to unite India,” the source told DH.

A DMK leader also said the party will not have an issue if Kamal Haasan’s MNM joins the alliance as it has over 3 per cent votes in its kitty.

“There was a proposal to induct MNM into our alliance in 2021 but it didn’t go through for several reasons. Since 2024 elections will be fought on anti-BJP and anti-Modi plank, we believe Kamal Haasan will be a good catch for the alliance,” the leader added.