Actor-politician Kamal Haasan's party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), has approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking the allotment of a common poll symbol for all its candidates in the 2026 Tamil Nadu state elections.
A delegation from MNM personally met ECI officials in New Delhi on Tuesday and submitted a formal request along with a list of ten preferred symbols, which includes the party's earlier poll emblem - the "torchlight".
MNM's Electoral Record
Founded by Kamal Haasan in 2017, Makkal Needhi Maiam contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing around 4% of the total votes polled in Tamil Nadu. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party fielded candidates across the state and polled 2.62% of the votes, though it failed to win any seats.
Haasan himself contested from Coimbatore South but narrowly lost to BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan by just 1,728 votes - one of the closest contests in that election. A key member told NDTV: "We hope we would get the torchlight symbol. We are fine about any other symbol as well."
From Fierce Critic to DMK Ally
In subsequent years, Haasan extended his support to the Congress candidate E.V.K.S. Elangovan during the Erode East bypoll, signaling a shift toward cooperation with the DMK-led alliance.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, MNM did not contest; instead, Kamal Haasan publicly aligned with the DMK it had fought against earlier, declaring that it was "the need of the hour to fight the BJP".
Following the DMK's sweeping victory, Haasan was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the party.
Looking Ahead to 2026
With the 2026 Assembly polls on the horizon, MNM leaders say they are working to revive the party's grassroots presence. The push for a common election symbol - a key factor in recognition and consistency - is seen as part of that effort.
Party insiders say MNM hopes to contest more seats than before and believes that a unified symbol could boost visibility and voter recall, especially in rural constituencies.
