Three candidates from Kamal Haasan’s party MNM, who contested the recent Lok Sabha polls on behalf of actor Kamal Haasan’s party joined BJP. It is just the beginning and more to follow suit, they said. Anguished over being left in political oblivion after the party’s dismal performance in the parliamentary elections – N Rajendran (Arakonam), T Ravi (Chidambaram) and S Srikarunya (Krishnagiri) called on former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan at Kamalayam, BJP’s state headquarters here and joined the party.
Reacting to the developments, MNM vice president Mahendran said it has proved right the party’s decision to not give any role or responsibility to such “opportunists”. “Our party has stringent review and evaluation process before giving anyone a responsibility. These people did not meet the requirement and hence were rejected,” he said.
Functionaries in both the parties said the BJP state leadership had sent out feelers to dissidents and likeminded people in MNM. “They have been in touch for around a month. I have been asked to visit the BJP headquarters by next Friday to join the party in the presence of senior leader Muralidhar Rao,” said another MNM candidate, who contested the Lok Sabha from the Delta region.
“We have decided to join BJP to have a meaningful political life and serve the people. We choose BJP as it has clean leaders, unlike AIADMK and DMK. Many of the functionaries in MNM will also follow us as they have waited for someone to take the lead,” N Rajendran told. He had secured 23,700 votes in the general elections in Arakonam.
3 leader quits Kamal Haasan’s MNM
