Kamal Haasan to enter Rajya Sabha with DMK's support
What's the story
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan is all set to enter the Rajya Sabha with the support from Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), per reports. The DMK has decided to give one of its four Rajya Sabha seats to Haasan's party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). The MNM has already passed a resolution confirming Haasan's nomination for the Upper House.
Candidate announcement
DMK announces candidates for upcoming Rajya Sabha elections
The DMK has officially announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Apart from Haasan, the other three candidates are senior advocate P Wilson, poet and writer Salma, and former minister SR Sivalingam. This decision comes after Haasan's MNM joined the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in March 2024 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The alliance won all 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu.
Language row
Haasan's remarks on Kannada language spark controversy
However, the development also comes amid a controversy over Haasan's recent remarks about the Kannada language. While promoting his upcoming movie, Thug Life, in Chennai, the actor suggested that "Kannada was born out of Tamil." His statement drew sharp criticism from Kannada activists and political leaders, including Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra, who said that Haasan, who has acted in Kannada films, has shown "ungratefulness" toward the language and its people.