Kamal Haasan debuts in Parliament, elected unopposed as Rajya Sabha MP
Poet Salma, DMK leaders P Wilson and SR Sivalingam, and AIADMK leaders IS Inbadurai and M Dhanapal also win election unopposed
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, alongside senior advocate P Wilson, poet Salma, and three others, have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. This marks the debut of Kamal, founder of Makkal Neethi Maiam (MNM), in Parliament.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretariat announced the results on Thursday (June 12), with no contest as nominations matched the six vacant seats. The elections saw no withdrawals by the deadline, ensuring a smooth transition for all nominees.
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Joining Kamal are the DMK’s incumbent MP and senior advocate Wilson, poet and former Tamil Official Language Commission chairperson A Rokkaiah Malik, alias Salma, veteran DMK leader SR Sivalingam, and AIADMK candidates IS Inbadurai and M Dhanapal.
The unopposed election reflects the strategic alignment of nominations with the available seats, avoiding a contest scheduled for June 19.
DMK's promise
Kamal's entry into the Upper House fulfills a promise made by the DMK during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the MNM supported the DMK-led alliance. DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced Kamal Haasan’s candidacy late last month.
The 71-year-old actor, a recipient of the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier), brings a diverse legacy to the Rajya Sabha. Known for his six-decade career in Tamil cinema and roles in Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Bengali films, Kamal is the third major Tamil cinema star to enter the Upper House, following Shivaji Ganesan and J Jayalalithaa.
Also read | Salma interview: How poetry became an outlet for my grief, my freedom song
Other leaders
Wilson continues with his tenure after a notable stint handling key legal cases for the party, including the Governor of Tamil Nadu case.
Salma, a modernist Tamil poet from Tiruchirappalli, adds a literary voice to the Rajya Sabha.
MDMK leader Vaiko and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss, whose Rajya Sabha terms end on July 24, 2025, were not re-nominated, concluding their tenure. Tamil Nadu’s 18 Rajya Sabha seats are now represented by members from the DMK, AIADMK, Congress, and TMC (Moopanar).