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Tamil Nadu: Kamal Haasan’s MNM, Rajinikanth to skip local body polls

The Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) will not be contesting the upcoming local body elections in Tamil Nadu, party president and founder Kamal Haasan announced on Sunday. A statement from the party explained that the party has nothing to gain from the polls, adding that “only corrupt parties will have gains” from the local rural body elections.

The MNM was hitting out at both the dominant political parties in the state – All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) – for ‘staging a political drama’ in the name of these elections. The MNM statement detailed that the party suspects there will not be any real participation of people in these local body polls, and hence the party will not contest it and will instead focus on the party’s goal to “wrest power in Tamil Nadu in the 2021 Assembly Elections”.

Makkal Needhi Maiam Party’s Press release regarding Local Body Election.#MakkalNeedhiMaiam pic.twitter.com/FcRdd8hqgM

— Makkal Needhi Maiam | மக்கள் நீதி மய்யம் (@maiamofficial) December 8, 2019

Actor Kamal Haasan launched the Makkal Needhi Maiam at a public meeting in Madurai on 21 February 2018. The party contested the Lok Sabha general elections earlier this year and had amassed 4% votes.

Another superstar of the Tamil film industry, Rajinikanth, who had announced his entry into politics in 2017, has also decided not to contest the local body polls. Further, he will not offer his support to any political party or individual for the polls, Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) in-charge V M Sudhakar stated. Rajinikanth, who had not contested the Lok Sabha polls, had also expressed his intent to contest the 2021 Assembly Elections.

The local rural body elections will be held in Tamil Nadu in two phases – on December 27 and on December 30.

Source: dnaindia.com