Just 14 months old and our vote share is an achievement: Kamal

Speaking to reporters at his party office here, Kamal thanked the voters for reposing faith in his party candidates in the elections. Claiming that the MNM was a like a 14-month-old baby, he expressed his gratitude to the people for voting for the party’s brand of honest politics. 

Sounding upbeat about his party’s performance, he said, “We have done what we could do in 14 months. If there had been more time, we would have done better. I don’t think there is such a history for a new party. This is a big achievement.” 

On the BJP’s resounding victory in the Lok Sabha polls, Kamal said it was the people’s mandate, but not the one given by those in Tamil Nadu. Urging Modi to equal importance to TN, he said, “Your duty is to consider Tamil Nadu as also a part of India. 

You should give equal importance to Tamil Nadu as you would to the States where you won.” However, Kamal refused to comment about BJP’s loss in Tamil Nadu and said he did not want to waste time. 

“I don’t have time to console losers. I can only wish the winners.” Talking about the lessons learnt from the election and the road ahead for his party, Kamal said, “We managed to win amid perum pana puyal (cash for votes storm). We have learnt that our journey is long and solving poverty is tough. We will concentrate on grama sabhas and involve more people in it.” 

To a query on him continuing his acting career, Kamal said that politics was his ‘extracurricular’ duty and not a full-time job to make money. 

“Acting is my profession and I will continue to pursue it until people give me a “good office” to sit there permanently,” he said. 

Stating that the so-called ‘political vacuum’ in the state was a media creation, he said, “There is never a vacuum just because a leader has died. This is not the first time a leader has died. 

Annadurai (DMK) and Kamaraj (Congress) both passed away within a quick time but there was never a vacuum because the people would not allow it.”