CHENNAI:
Makkal Needhi Maiam founder and actor Kamal Haasan on Thursday set off on his maiden election campaign trail for the Lok Sabha election and bypolls to 18 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu.
Beginning the campaign from Chennai South Lok Sabha constituency, Haasan, who is projecting himself as an agent of political change, sought to convey the message that he was different by asking the candidate, R. Rangarajan, to speak on the problems and solutions for each area. While his campaign had a delayed start, Haasan and Rangarajan spoke to enthusiastic party cadres who were a mix of young workers and college students.
Starting from Semmencheri, which he described as a neighbourhood comprising people who were relocated with a promise of better quality of life, Haasan pointed to Rangarajan’s experience as a bureaucrat and promised clean drinking water for every household and rejuvenation of waterbodies in Semmencheri and Kannagi Nagar. He criticised the manner in which Kannagi Nagar residents had been slapped with false criminal cases by the police.
Water supply
Haasan let Rangarajan speak at every stop and explain how he seeks to ensure supply of clean drinking water, traffic management and prevent water-logging in the city. In Semmencheri, Rangarajan said: “Poramboke lands will be turned into waterbodies. Existing waterbodies will be replenished so that 250 tmcft. of water can be stopped from going into the sea. All the water from Nemili is going into the Adyar and other areas. Using the MPLADS, we can bring water within three years.”
At Velachery bus terminus, Haasan promised to solve traffic issues in the area. “Many of you are disenchanted with political parties and don’t even vote. It is your duty to vote for a good party and there is only one good party in this election,” he said.
The MNM leader said the 2015 Chennai flood was not a natural disaster but one that occurred due to a “sleeping administration”. At T. Nagar bus terminus, Haasan got nostalgic and spoke about how he had walked the streets of T. Nagar as an aspiring actor searching for opportunities in Tamil film industry.
