Kamal Haasan all set to make his parliamentary debut in alliance with DMK

Kamal Haasan is all set to make his entry into the Rajya Sabha. The actor-turned-politician is Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) candidate at the Upper House of the parliament from Tamil Nadu. The DMK has decided to allocate one of its four Rajya Sabha seats to Haasan’s party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).

The DMK formally announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday. The three candidates are - senior advocate P Wilson, poet and writer Salma, and former minister SR Sivalingam. The fourth has been allocated to the veteran actor.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, also the president of the ruling DMK, in a party release, stated that the allocation of one seat to Haasan's party is in line with an electoral pact with the MNM ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

On July 24, 2025, six RS members from Tamil Nadu will retire and, including PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss and MDMK top leader Vaiko. Out of the 6 seats, based on its strength and that of its allies in the State Assembly, DMK could easily win 4 seats and the main opposition AIADMK could win 2 seats, with support from allies including the BJP.

Kamal Haasan's comments stir controversy in Karnataka

The actor, who is currently promoting his upcoming film Thug Life, stirred controversy earlier this week over his remarks about the Kannada language. The actor reportedly said, "Kannada was born out of Tamil,” which has sparked a row and led to criticism from political leaders and citizens in Karnataka.

At an event, Haasan began his speech with the Tamil phrase "Uyire Urave Tamizhe," which translates to "my life and my family." He then addressed the presence of Kannada actor Shivarajkumar at the event, stating: "This is my family. That’s why he (Shivarajkumar) is here. That’s why I began my speech with life, relationship, and Tamil. Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included."

The statement was met with criticism in Karnataka. BJP state president Vijayendra Yediyurappa condemned Haasan’s comments as "uncultured" and accused the actor of "disrespecting" and "hurting the self-respect of 6.5 crore Kannadigas" in an attempt to "glorify his own mother tongue." He also demanded an apology from the actor.