With the DMK allies expected to up the ante during the seat negotiations for the upcoming Assembly election, sources in the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), founded by Kamal Haasan, said the party was aiming for a “respectable number of seats”.
DMK leaders, including Ministers P.K. Sekarbabu, and M.P. Saminathan, met Mr. Haasan at MNM’s headquarters in Alwarpet in Chennai on Monday. MNM sources said they informally discussed the party’s expectations for the Assembly election.
Sources close to Mr. Haasan said the party applied for and got the “Torch Light” symbol to ensure that its voice was heard in the Assembly.
“In 2024, the DMK agreed to allot an M.P. seat to our party, but they insisted we contest under their symbol. Our leader rejected the idea and said it was important for the party to get a place in Parliament. That’s when they came back and informed us that they would like to offer a Rajya Sabha seat,” a source said.
Another MNM source close to Mr. Haasan said the party founder was directly engaged in negotiations with the DMK leadership. “We will contest the elections under the ‘Torch Light’ symbol in a respectable number of seats,” he said.
Published – January 26, 2026 11:47 pm IST
