Kamal Haasan Makes Parliamentary Debut: Actor to Join Rajya Sabha with DMK Backing

Kamal Haasan, the renowned actor-politician, is all set to enter the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament, with the support of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.

This move comes as a result of a pre-election agreement between Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam party and the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The alliance won all 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu.

Kamal Haasan’s Rajya Sabha Entry: A Promising Seat

Six Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu are set to become vacant in the coming months. The DMK-led alliance is widely expected to secure four of these seats, with the AIADMK and its ally, the PMK, aiming to retain their current two seats. One of the four seats destined for the DMK alliance will be allotted to Kamal Haasan.

A Controversial Precedent

This development comes amidst a recent controversy sparked by Haasan’s remarks linking the Kannada language to Tamil roots. During the promotional event for his upcoming film, ‘Thug Life,’ in Bengaluru, Haasan’s statement ignited sharp criticism from Kannada activists and political leaders, including Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra.

Haasan’s Statement: ‘Kannada Born from Tamil’

During the film launch in Chennai, Haasan began his speech with the Tamil phrase, ‘Uyire Urave Tamizhe,’ which translates to ‘my life and my family is the Tamil language.’ Addressing Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, present at the event, Haasan stated, ‘Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included.’ This statement quickly went viral and sparked outrage across Karnataka.