In a major setback to Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam, one of the founding members and vice-president of the party A Arunachalam joined Bhartiya Janta Party on Friday ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections. He joined the saffron party in the presence of Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
Speaking to the media, Arunachalam said that he decided to join the BJP as Haasan refused to support the Centre’s farm laws. Arunachalam also said that he felt blessed to join the saffron party on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Arunachalam is an advocate by profession, hails from a village in Tuticorin district. It is believed that the groundwork for establishing MNM in rural Tamil Nadu was laid by Arunachalam.
Earlier, MNM chief Haasan had announced that his party will not forge any alliance with Kazhagam parties, apparently referring to DMK and AIADMK, in the forthcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
The actor-turned-politician also released a 7-point governance plan for Tamil Nadu, highlighting that the theme of his campaign is "Seeramaipom Thamizhagathai."
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