Assembly Election 2021 News LIVE Updates: Upset over seat-sharing, actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK has quit AIADMK-BJP alliance ahead of Tamil Nadu polls next month. Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan’s party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MKM) will contest on 154 out of 234 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu assembly elections, leaving the remaining 80 seats for its two alliance partners – All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi and Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi – that will contest on 40 seats each. The MNM had secured around 4 per cent votes in 2019 Lok Sabha election, with its share going as high as 10 per cent in the urban pockets. The actor-turned-politician had earlier said he was in talks with like-minded parties for a possible electoral alliance for the April 6 assembly election.

Announcing his party’s poll assurances, Haasan said MNM is committed to ensuring the dignity and recognition of homemakers. There will be 50 percent reservation for women in the uniform sector. Hostels will be made available in every district for free emergency overnight stay for women in distress, he said.

Establishing banks that will be run by women and for women, too, figured in the party’s agenda which also promised jobs to 50 lakh youth and monetisation of households. Haasan on Wednesday evening launched his electoral campaign and trained guns at the BJP and AIADMK, saying the saffron party thinks that Tamils could be convinced to vote for by “tweaking” Tamil pride while the AIADMK government’s promise of jobs to youth has remained far from reality.