Kamal Haasan has lost to BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan by a narrow margin ⁠— his party is out on a duck

• Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), headed by actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, contested from 142 constituencies.
• While Haasan has been in the lead since morning, he eventually lost to BJP candidate Vanathi Srinivasan by little less than 900 votes.
• Haasan’s party won a vote share of 3.72% during the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019 but this time at has been much worse.

Kamal Haasan's political gamble has failed to pay off one more time. Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) was leading in only one seat, Coimbatore South, where Haasan himself is the candidate. However, by the end of the counting, that was lost too. Vanathi Srinivasan from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who is also the national head of the saffron party's women's wing, has won Coimbatore South by a margin of little less 900 votes, according to Electin Commission data at 9:30 pm.

After registering a new regional political party in Tamil Nadu named as Makkal Needhi Maiam in February, 2018, the actor-cum-producer Kamal Haasan made a debut in the Lok Sabha election campaign of 2019, for the first time. Haasan did not contest, though.

This time, for the state Assembly polls, he has taken a bet on himself. While pollsters never gave the party a winning chance in any constituency, Haasan himself was hoping to send as many candidates as possible to the new legislative assembly that will form post elections. However, not a single candidate from the party or the alliance managed to win.

Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2021 assembly elections
The election commission has allotted the symbol of ‘torchlight’ for the party and the party’s abbreviated name reads as MNM. Haasan has joined hands with four other smaller parties to face the election. As per the terms of the alliance, the brigade has assumed the name Makkalin Mudhal Kootani and contested from 227 constituencies.

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), headed by Haasan, contested from 142 constituencies. Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) founded by T.R. Paarivendhar faced the electorate from 40 constituencies. All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) under the leadership of actor R. Sarathkumar fought from 33 seats. Tamilaga Makkal Jananayaga Katchi (TMJK) led by K.M. Shareef faced the elections in 9 seats and Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) headed by H.D. Deva Gowda contested from 3 constituencies.

Key persons of the party facing elections
Dr. Mahendran contested from Singanallur constituency. Dr. Santhosh Babu, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was fielded from the Velachery constituency. He faced AIADMK and Congress representatives in these seats.

Actor Sripriya fought from Mylapore, locking horns with T. Velu of the DMK and former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and incumbent R. Natraj of the AIADMK party. Senior politician Pazha. Karuppiah fought from T. Nagar constituency.

However, none of the other party members or the alliance members were able to make a mark in the election.

MNM’s performance in last Lok Sabha elections
Haasan’s party won a vote share of 3.72% during the last Lok sabha elections. This feat was achieved only when the party was just 14 months old. This achievement was said to have ensued from Kamal’s popularity among a sizeable segment of the urban voters. In Coimbatore, his party candidate R.Mahendran bagged 1.45 lakh votes. Hassan’s party secured over 1 lakh votes in three of the four seats in Chennai.

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