Actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan has begun consultations with his party functionaries from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as part of preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections.
The discussions, which will continue till Sunday, mark MNM's first electoral exercise after formally allying with the ruling DMK.
Launched in 2018 as an alternative force to the state's two dominant Dravidian parties, MNM is yet to secure an electoral win. In the 2021 Assembly polls, Mr Haasan contested from Coimbatore South but lost narrowly to the BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan.
Party insiders told NDTV that the current focus is on identifying stronger constituencies based on 2021 results and working out strategies to strengthen MNM's presence on the ground ahead of the polls. "We are mapping areas where the party has a credible base and preparing to consolidate our position," a functionary said.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mr Haasan announced an alliance with the DMK, calling it "the need of the hour" to counter the BJP.
The DMK later rewarded Mr Haasan by facilitating his entry into the Rajya Sabha, and the ongoing consultations are seen as crucial for MNM to carve out a meaningful role in the alliance as it prepares for its first Assembly election as a ruling front partner.
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