"India Should Follow Dravidian Model": Kamal Haasan Campaigns For DMK

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan on Saturday called for a 'Dravidian model' of governance and development over the 'Gujarat Model'.

MNM is an alliance partner of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu.

The actor-turned-politician campaigned for DMK's South Chennai candidate Thamizhachi Thangapandian in the Mylapore area earlier in the day. Mr Haasan urged the voters to support Ms Thamizhachi and DMK saying that it is "for the nation".

"If I had asked for this South Chennai seat, I would have got it, but I did not come here for the seat. I came here to seek votes for our sister. Don't forget this symbol, its rising sun, we have to make our sister win in this constituency," Haasan said while addressing the campaign event.

He further called for the 'Dravidian Model' of governance in the country over the 'Gujarat Model'.

"People cannot always say that the Gujarat model is great. We have come to this model, which is also great (Dravidian model). Hereafter, India should follow the Dravidian model. Moving my chariot alone is not enough, so we have to move the chariot together (by joining hands with the DMK)," the MNM chief said.

Besides MNM, hundreds of workers of the DMK's alliance partners, including Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, and CPM, attended the campaign event. "These allies' party flags are flying here because we need one flag to fly forever - that's our national flag," Mr Haasan said.

All 39 seats of Tamil Nadu will poll in the first phase of the general elections on April 19 and the counting of votes, along with those from other phases, is scheduled for June 4.

In 2019, the DMK swept the Lok Sabha polls in the state, winning 23 Lok Sabha seats and bagging the lion's share of the total votes polled, at 33.2 per cent. Its ruling ally, Congress, bagged eight seats, mining 12.9 per cent of the total votes polled, while the CPI won two seats. CPI (M) and IUML won one seat each while the remaining two seats went to Independents.

The elections to 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases, starting April 19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)