Kamal Haasan-led MNM opts out of TN Assembly poll race, extends full support to DMK & allies
Chennai (PTI): Actor-politician Kamal Haasan's MNM, a constituent of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, on Tuesday announced that it would not contest the April 23 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.
The number of seats DMK offered and the 'suggestion' that MNM nominees should contest under DMK's Rising Sun symbol are not acceptable, the party said.
MNM founder chief Haasan declared that his party will not fight polls but extend unconditional support to all the candidates of the DMK-led alliance and the move was hailed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin as "magnanimous decision setting aside self-interest with dignity and prioritise the welfare of Tamil Nadu."
"I don't know how to express my gratitude to him. His decision has deeply moved me," Stalin, who is the president of the DMK, said and thanked Haasan. He requested "brother Kamal Haasan" to campaign across Tamil Nadu for the April 23 polls.
Haasan, who called on the chief minister and conveyed his decision on Tuesday evening, said in a statement: "In today's difficult political environment, the number of seats that they (DMK) have promised to give us and the suggestion that we should contest under the Rising Sun symbol are not acceptable to the members of the MNM and to me."
Haasan said in politics, election is only a part and it is not final; there is no 'full stop' in politics.
The MNM joined the DMK-led alliance during the last parliamentary election for the good of the nation. "We worked hard for the alliance's success. As a result, the voice of Makkal Needhi Maiam was heard in the Rajya Sabha. From that day till today, we have maintained the alliance dharma without giving up our uniqueness," he said.
The chief minister and other leaders in the DMK "behaved with love, respect, and friendliness" towards him during the seat-sharing negotiations for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
"I fully understand that there is justification for it on their part. In an environment where communal forces are scheming in every way to somehow capture Tamil Nadu, the overall chance of victory of the alliance is paramount. And it is justified," Haasan said.
But the bond of MNM members with the party's "torch" symbol is emotional because it is not just a symbol for them but is their "identity." "I cannot and will not ignore the feelings of my workers who have been travelling with me for the last nine years without any gain," he said.
The decision to abstain from poll fray was "not sacrifice but a duty" and through this he has planted the seeds of a new political civilisation. "Proudly rejecting what the chief minister lovingly offers is also a form of love," he said and added that he gave up the seats for the progress of Tamil Nadu, and for the formation of a Dravidian Model 2.0 government which was the need of the hour.
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Body of UP man killed in Riyadh missile attack brought to native village
Sitapur (UP) (PTI): The mortal remains of a 26-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh, who was killed in a suspected missile attack in Riyadh earlier this month, was brought to his native village in Sitapur on Wednesday, his family members said.
Ravi Gopal, a resident of Baghain village under Mahmudabad police station limits, had been working as a driver in a plastic factory in the Saudi capital since September 2025. He was killed on the night of March 18 in what his family described as a missile strike near his workplace.
His elder brother, Manmohan Dayal, told PTI that the mortal remains were handed over to him in Lucknow on Wednesday morning with the help of the administration.
"The body was received around 9.30 am. We are now taking it to our village in an ambulance and expect to reach by noon," he said earlier this morning.
"The cremation will be held today and preparations are already underway in the village," he said.
Dayal said Rakesh Kumar, Naib Tehsildar from Mahmudabad, has been deputed to facilitate the process and was accompanying the convoy.
He added that the family had been informed earlier by embassy officials and the local administration that the body would be flown from Riyadh to Lucknow, arriving on Wednesday morning.
Earlier, the family had claimed that Ravi died after being buried under debris following a missile strike near the factory where he worked. He was later taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.
The Ministry of External Affairs had said it received information on March 18 regarding the "tragic demise of an Indian national" in Riyadh and expressed condolences to the bereaved family. The Indian Mission in Riyadh coordinated with local authorities to facilitate the repatriation of the body.
Ravi, the sole breadwinner of his family, is survived by his wife and a four-year-old son. The family has sought compensation and assistance from the administration.
Officials said the district administration remained in touch with the family to ensure smooth completion of formalities.
