CHENNAI, India – July 25, 2025 – Veteran actor and founder of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party, Kamal Haasan, officially took oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s Parliament, on Friday. This marks a significant milestone in the 69-year-old actor-turned-politician’s career, as he steps into a national legislative role for the first time.
Haasan was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on June 12, with the crucial backing of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance. This support came after a political understanding where MNM extended its full support to the DMK-led alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, opting not to contest those polls themselves.
During the oath-taking ceremony, Haasan delivered his oath in Tamil, which was met with resounding thumps on the table from his fellow Parliamentarians. Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, he expressed his pride and honor at this new responsibility, stating, “I am very proud and honoured.”
Haasan had filed his nomination papers on June 6 at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in Chennai. The occasion was marked by the presence of key political figures, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, and senior leaders from other alliance partners such as VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, and Tamil Nadu Congress president K. Selvaperunthagai.
His entry into the Rajya Sabha is seen as a strategic move to solidify his political presence on a national platform. While MNM did not secure any seats in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, where Haasan himself narrowly lost his Coimbatore South seat, his unopposed election to the Rajya Sabha with DMK’s support highlights a growing alignment with the ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu. He is expected to advocate for the rights and concerns of Tamil Nadu in the Parliament.
