CHENNAI: The Makkal Needhi Maiam has constituted a five-member election working committee as part of its preparations for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and announced that applications from aspirants wishing to contest the polls will be accepted from Saturday on payment of a fee of Rs 50,000.
The decisions were taken at the party’s administrative committee and executive committee meeting, chaired by Kamal Haasan, held here on January 24.
As part of election preparedness, the party resolution said that it has formed an election working committee comprising general secretary A Arunachalam, vice-presidents Thangavelu and Mowriya, treasurer Chandrasekar, and state secretary Dakshinamurthy. Party members have been urged to extend full cooperation to the committee.
The party also announced that aspirants seeking to contest the 2026 Assembly elections on the MNM ticket can submit applications from Saturday. The application fee has been fixed at Rs 50,000.
Another resolution said a major public event titled Remembering Babuji will be held in Madurai on February 21, marking the party’s foundation day and World Mother Language Day.
The event will feature interactions between the party leader and leading scholars and political leaders from across the country. A special organising committee has been formed for the event, with its details to be announced on Monday.
On policy issues, MNM resolution criticised the conduct of the Tamil Nadu Governor, stating that interference with State autonomy goes against the federal principles enshrined in the Constitution.
It also opposed changes introduced by the Centre to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, particularly the requirement for Tamil Nadu to bear 40% of the funding, saying it would adversely affect marginalised communities, women and persons with disabilities.
The party welcomed the State government’s decision to implement the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme, praising the government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, while urging it to also address the long-pending pension demands of retired senior government doctors.
Reiterating its long-standing advocacy for wages for homemakers, MNM said the concept had found expression in Tamil Nadu through the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme and urged the State to enhance the assistance further to make it the highest in the country.
The party also called for a comprehensive, State-wide campaign against drug abuse, involving government agencies, educational institutions and civil society, under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister.
It condemned attempts to divide people on religious and caste lines and criticised what it described as inadequate funding for Tamil development, suppression of archaeological reports highlighting Tamil heritage, and repeated attempts to impose Hindi.