Kamal Haasan files Rajya Sabha nomination from Tamil Nadu in presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin. (Photo: X/@mkstalin)

Kamal Haasan files nomination for Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president and actor Kamal Haasan formally enters the Rajya Sabha race from Tamil Nadu, filing his nomination papers in the presence of Chief Minister Stalin and senior leaders.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Kamal Haasan files Rajya Sabha papers in Chennai Secretariat
  • Chief Minister Stalin and Udhayanidhi present at nomination filing event
  • Haasan’s entry follows DMK-MNM electoral alliance agreement

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president and actor Kamal Haasan on Friday filed his nomination papers to contest the biennial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 19 from Tamil Nadu.

Haasan submitted the papers at the State Secretariat in Chennai in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, and senior leaders from his party. He signed and handed over the nomination documents to election officials, marking his formal entry into the upcoming upper house contest.

The move follows a brief delay in the nomination process. Haasan had initially been expected to file his papers earlier but deferred it, reportedly on the advice of party insiders who suggested the timing may not be ideal due to the backlash he faced for a controversial comment on the origins of Kannada. At a recent promotional event for his upcoming film Thug Life in Chennai, Haasan had remarked that “Kannada is born out of Tamil”, prompting widespread criticism from pro-Kannada groups.

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce subsequently halted the release and screening of the film in the state, following protests and calls for a boycott. Haasan refused to apologise, maintaining that his comment had been taken out of context. He later told the Karnataka High Court that he would not release the film in the state, though he continued to defend his remarks.

Haasan’s Rajya Sabha nomination comes under an electoral pact with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which had promised him a seat in the upper house in exchange for his party’s support to the DMK-led alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The DMK formally announced Haasan as one of its three Rajya Sabha candidates on May 28.

Elections for six Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu are set to be held on June 19.