Kamal Haasan not to contest, promises more jobs

COIMBATORE: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Sunday announced he will not contest in the April 18 Lok Sabha elections, even as his party, the centrist, Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM)'s poll manifesto he released at a meeting here has come with loads of assurances to better the lot of farmers, women and unemployed youth. There are 40 seats at stake in TN and Puducherry.

"All candidates are my faces. I am proud being the chariot puller than being the chariot," Kamal Haasan said at a MNM rally here late on Sunday, while stopping short of likening himself to a Lord Krishna as charioteer in the Mahabaratha.

There was pressure from his party admirers and well-wishers to either contest from Ramanathapuram constituency which includes his native place or from South Chennai, but Kamal Haasan wisely put off his maiden electoral contest to another occasion, preferring to steer the political destiny of his comrades.

Going solo in the 2019 general elections, the fledgling MNM wants to be a party with a difference, preferring a middle path sans traditional political ideologies that are divisive, but projecting principles that the electorate want to see in terms of good, equitable and just governance, besides ensuring communal amity.    

Releasing the MNM's manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, the 64-year-old leader addressed the needs of all sections of society. The manifesto promises to generate 50 lakh jobs and give 50 per cent reservation to women in them. Promising a scheme to ensure 100 per cent return on investments made in crop production by farmers, the manifesto pitches for Governors of States getting elected by the respective state legislators.

Among other things, MNM also assured the electorate free Wifi facilities, scrapping tolls on highways, and home delivery of rations to card holders under the PDS. The last one is similar to the promise made by actor Vijayakanth years ago. Kamal Haasan also released the party's second and final list of LS candidates to 19 constituencies, having released the first list of 21 candidates last week.  The candidates announced by MNM for the Lok Sabha constituencies are as follows after the release of second list in Coimbatore: Kancheepuram, Anandamalai M Thangaraj, Tiruvannamalai- R Arul, Arani- V Shaji, Kallakurichi- Ganesh, Namakkal-Thangavelu, Erode-Saravana Kumar, Ramanathapuram-Vijayabhaskar, Karur- Dr Hariharan, Perambalur- V Arulprakasam, Thanjavur-Sampath Ramadass, Sivagangai-Snehan, Madurai-M Azhagar, South Chennai- R. Rangarajan, retired IAS officer, Cuddalore-V Annamalai, Virudhunagar- V Muniyasamy, Tenkasi- Muneeswaran, Tirupur-V V Chandrakumar, Pollachi- Mookambikai Rathnam, Coimbatore- Dr R Mahendran, Tiruvallur- Dr M Logarangan, Chennai North- A G Mauriya, retired IPS officer, Chennai Central- Ms Kameela Nazar, Sriperumbudur M Sivakumar, Arakkonam- M Rajendran, Vellore- R Suresh, Krishnagiri- Srikarunya, Dharmapuri- D Rajasekhar, Villupuram - Anbin Poyyamozhi, Salem- M Prabhu Manikandan, Nilgiris- Rajendran, Dindgul- Dr S Sudhakar, Tiruchy- V Anand Raja, Chidambaram- T Ravi, Mayiladuthurai - M Riazuddin, Nagapattinam- K Gurivaiyah, Theni - S Radhakrishnan, Thoothukudi - TPS Pon Kumaran, Tirunelveli- M Vennimalai, Kanyakumari - J Ebenezer, businessman with advanced diploma in Theology, and Puducherry- Dr M A S Subramanin.