Key leader with Kamal Haasan's MNM joins BJP

The General Secretary of Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam A Arunachalam joined the BJP during a meeting with Union minister Prakash Javadekar in Chennai.

Chennai: Makkal Needhi Maiam party's general secretary A Arunachalam has joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu assembly will be going to polls in May next year. Actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan himself is on the campaign trail for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Arunachalam who was appointed to the core team of the MNM joined the BJP in the presence of union minister Prakash Javadekar at the party's office in Chennai. Arunachalam, who is an advocate by profession, hails from a village in Tuticorin district. It is said that the groundwork for establishing Haasan's party in rural Tamil Nadu was laid by Arunachalam.

Arunachalam said that BJP has passed three farm laws with a vision that would pay the way for farmers and also claims that he came from an Agriculture family. He says, "I urged Kamal Haasan to back the farm laws as it is useful for the farmers. But, They have taken the decision with their narrow political gains".

Slamming the former party, he said that Makkal Needi Maiam was going against the interests of farmers. He says, "Not able to go against the conscience. So, resigned from all the posts that MNM had given me. Came here to serve the party as a servant".

The Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief also recently released a 7-point governance plan for Tamil Nadu, highlighting that the theme of his campaign is "Seeramaipom Thamizhagathai."

His 7-point governance and economic agenda includes schemes like 'Green Channel Government', 'Online Homes', 'Providing Urban Opportunities in Rural Areas' (PUORA), 'Women enrichment' among others.

To woo the women voters, Haasan also assured ‘payment’ to homemakers for their work at home, a computer with high-speed internet to all households and the transformation of farmers to agri-entrepreneurs. He also promised to put an end to sand mining and to rejuvenate the rivers.