An LS seat or an RS berth, DMK’s offer to Kamal Haasan

With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the DMK is looking to expand its alliance and has reportedly offered actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) the option of either contesting one Lok Sabha seat or accepting a post-poll Rajya Sabha berth, in exchange of extensive campaigning across the state for the alliance.

Sources in both parties said the talks are in the final stages. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Haasan said talks with the DMK were ongoing and “good news” would be revealed soon.

The DMK-led ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu comprises the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Left parties, and the move to include the MNM follows speculation from before the 2021 Assembly polls of Haasan’s inclination towards the alliance.

A senior DMK leader said they would suggest Haasan to contest on the party’s symbol – the rising sun – as that would ease his way, and that the seat he might be offered is Coimbatore, where the MNM did well in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “If he doesn’t want to contest, he will be given the option of being our star campaigner and can be given a Rajya Sabha berth later,” the leader said.

Sources said Haasan, who has been interested in politics for a long time and floated the MNM in 2018 as an alternative to the DMK and AIADMK, was more keen on contesting on the MNM symbol of torchlight, which was recently approved by the Election Commission (EC). An MNM insider said while it was up to Haasan to take the final call on the DMK’s offer, if he contested, it would be on the MNM symbol. “Joining hands with the DMK in this election is for a larger cause, and contesting on our symbol is a necessity,” the leader said.

Haasan is banking on his party’s impressive