Veteran actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan officially began his parliamentary career on Friday, taking oath as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. The 69-year-old leader delivered his oath in Tamil, greeted with thunderous applause and table thumps from fellow members of Parliament.
Elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on June 12, Mr. Haasan enters the Upper House with the backing of the DMK-led alliance—a strategic political partnership that marks a new chapter in his public life.
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Haasan expressed both humility and resolve. “I am going to take the oath and register my name in Delhi today. I will fulfil this duty with the honour given to me as an Indian,” he stated.
In an interview with NDTV a day before his oath, Haasan said, “I am honoured to begin with. I know I’ve to do a lot. Something is expected of me — I hope I live up to those expectations. I’ll try my best to be honest, earnest and speak for Tamil Nadu and India.”
Haasan founded Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2017, aiming to combat corruption, uplift rural development, and advocate for environmental sustainability. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, his party captured around 4% of the total vote. He later contested the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections from the Coimbatore South constituency, narrowly losing to BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan.
Although MNM did not participate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it backed the DMK, citing it as the “need of the hour.” Following DMK’s victory, the party adopted one of MNM’s core policies—direct benefit transfers to women—and implemented a Rs 1,000 monthly scheme for eligible women household heads.
With his Rajya Sabha entry, Kamal Haasan is now poised to bring his progressive agenda to the national stage. His focus remains clear: to voice Tamil Nadu’s concerns, promote inclusive governance, and fulfill the aspirations of those who believe in his political vision.
Looking ahead, MNM is expected to align with the DMK-led alliance in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, reinforcing its commitment to collaborative and reform-driven politics.
