Focus on strengthening the party: Kamal Haasan

CHENNAI: Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan on Wednesday asked his party office bearers to focus on strengthening the party and not to worry about the alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Haasan made this statement when chairing his party's district secretaries meeting here on preparation for the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing the district secretaries and State secretaries, the actor-politician said that irrespective of contesting the election independently or with an alliance, the party has to be strengthened at all levels, including setting up of booth-level committees.

“To even hold alliance talks, we have to prove our party’s strength. For that, we need to build the party at all levels,” an MNM state secretary quoted Haasan as saying. He also noted that Haasan urged the office bearers not to worry about the alliance and would talk about it later.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Haasan said that they discussed the 2024 Lok Sabha polls preparations. When asked whether any discussions were held with regard to forming an alliance, he said that there were discussions on the alliance but they cannot be revealed.

Haasan's statement that they discussed the alliance triggered speculation of his party joining the DMK-led alliance. However, an MNM party leader said that there was no discussion on joining any specific party alliance. “The actor-politician wanted the party to be strengthened from the grassroots. He stressed the need to bring about the change for which the party was founded, m” he said.