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From “Ulaganayagan” To “Oopinayagan”: BJP Tamil Nadu And Netizens Troll Kamal Haasan Mercilessly Over MNM Allying With DMK In Return For 1 Rajya Sabha Seat

The Commune

Kamal Haasan,  a full-time actor, part-time politician, and leader of the political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), finds himself amidst criticism, ridicule, and trolling on various social media platforms. This is due to his formal declaration of aligning himself with the ruling DMK party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, despite having previously criticized them as thieves and looters of Tamil Nadu. The video of his 2018 speech during the party launch is currently gaining traction.

The political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), established by Kamal Haasan six years ago in Madurai on 21 February 2018, was inaugurated with the concept of “Maiam,” meaning center. At the launch, Kamal Haasan expressed his vision for the party to remain centrist, avoiding alignment with any specific left or right ideologies and refraining from forming alliances with prominent Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu, such as DMK or AIADMK. However, in a notable shift, he has now aligned with the DMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. It is important to note that this alliance is not for contesting Lok Sabha seats but rather for the Rajya Sabha elections, where nominated MPs are sent from the state. Despite this alignment, Kamal Haasan secured only one ticket for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Makkal Needhi Maiam released an official statement on the microblogging platform X, stating that, “In the 2024 parliamentary elections, the Makkal Needhi Maiam Party will campaign in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry constituencies in support of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance. A seat has been reserved for the People’s Justice Center in the Rajya Sabha elections to be held in 2025.”

Previous stance of Kamal Haasan:

Kamal Haasan personally released a statement on his official social media account, expressing criticism towards the ruling Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu regarding the escalating debts in the state stating, “Every man, woman, child & even an unborn child of Thamizh Nadu will have to bear a debt of Rs.57,000. The 2 Dravidian parties who ruled & swindled alternatively are responsible. Let’s join hands & put an end to their looting. Come, let’s forge a wealthy, debt free Thamizh Nadu.”

Subsequently, he shared an MGR song, suggesting his anticipation and readiness to challenge the Dravidian parties in the forthcoming assembly elections. “Some people, for want, need, life, convenience, will catch legs of others… There is no honor in it, there is no shame in it He always catches the tail. Future will come, My duty will come, I will abolish this gangs game‘

Even at the inaugural event of his political party and in subsequent interviews, he consistently reiterated his commitment to removing the Dravidian parties from the political landscape. Following the inauguration of the party, during a session addressing queries from party members, the presenter posed the question, “Will you publicly declare that we will not ally with the parties and their affiliates that you have identified as corrupt?”

Kamal instantly replied, “Lets announce it, just think of this, We started a party like this, convene a meeting, and none of us knows how many years or months for the election. Instead of doing all this, we could have join a big party, bent a little and bow that’s enough, could have gone like that, why didn’t we go like that? I had the hope that it would not blossom into a democracy, that is why I dared and they said that if I fall from this, I will never be able to get up, even now Tamil Nadu is like that, unable to get up. That’s why we have taken this decision we will be one of them.

Hence, we can surely promise that we will not ally ourself with baseless unworthy people,  boldly swear that we will not ally our self with thieves. If we found that they are criminals, we promise that we will not cooperate, this is not an election promise but a promise given at the beginning of the party.”

The BJP in Tamil Nadu engaged in relentless trolling of Kamal Haasan, using his past comments and speeches critical of Dravidian parties. They mocked him for receiving just one ticket for the Rajya Sabha, humorously stating in Tamil, “For this, the cotton bag could’ve been in the godown,” implying a humorous reference to a comic clip of Santhanam of an unimpressive outcome.

 

The Tamil Nadu BJP has also unveiled another video mocking Kamal Haasan, asserting that the “U.P Nayagan Paradox” on the reel hero aligns with the real villain. In this video, the TN BJP highlights apparent contradictions in Kamal Haasan’s stance, emphasizing that while he advocates for secularism, he forms alliances with politicians deemed anti-Hindu. Haasan, who advocates for a drug-free society, aligns himself with individuals associated with the drug mafia. Additionally, it points out a contradiction in Haasan’s anti-corruption stance, alleging alliances with politicians accused of corruption. The video also questions Haasan’s commitment to fighting terrorism, claiming associations with those who support the release of terrorists. Lastly, it underscores the paradox that Haasan, a proponent of Jallikattu, forms alliances with individuals who were in power when the sport was banned.

It is to be noted that Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), under the leadership of Kamal Haasan, has encountered difficulties in all electoral endeavors it faced. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections (17th Lok Sabha), MNM contested 37 seats but failed to secure any, receiving a mere 0.40% of the votes, totaling 1,613,708. The outcome was a loss. In the 2021 State Legislative Assembly Elections, MNM faced similar challenges in Tamil Nadu (16th Assembly), contesting 180 seats with zero victories and securing 2.62% of the votes (1,210,667), resulting in a loss. The party also contested 22 seats in Puducherry (15th Assembly), with no wins and 1.89% of the votes (15,835), leading to another loss. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, MNM contended on 40 seats, generating speculation about a potential alliance with the Congress. Although the party achieved a vote share of 3.72% in the contested seats, it faced difficulties in rural areas. Notably, all candidates lost their deposits.

In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, MNM contested in 142 constituencies, declared no alliance with DMK or AIADMK, and failed to secure any seats. Kamal Haasan himself suffered defeat in Coimbatore South to BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan. Later, MNM allied with the Congress to support EVKS Elangovan in a by-election. Despite these challenges and setbacks, Makkal Needhi Maiam remains an active participant in the political landscape, continually adjusting its strategies and alliances in anticipation of future elections.

Regarding the imminent 2024 Lok Sabha elections (18th Lok Sabha), the decision to abandon its prior ideologies and align itself with the DMK solely for a Rajya Sabha seat is seen as Kamal’s reluctance to face the electorate and an anticipated acknowledgment of inevitable defeat. Opting for a nominated Member of Parliament (MP) rather than pursuing victory through popular vote has elicited significant criticism from within his party and beyond.

The choice made by Kamal Haasan, the leader of the MNM party, faced significant criticism and mockery from social media users.

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/murugesh_ariyal/status/1766412750572679641

 

 

 

 

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