In a setback for Kamal Haasan ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) general secretary A Arunachalam Friday joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Prakash Javedkar.
While speaking to reporters Arunachalam said he joined BJP as MNM did not agree with his views on the three farm laws.
Arunachalam said he had urged MNM not to oppose the three farm laws on the grounds it was brought by the BJP government but support them as they are good for the farmers. "But MNM decided to oppose the farm laws," he added.
The development came at a time when Kamal Haasan is intensively campaigning for the forthcoming state assembly elections. Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Monday had released a 7-point governance plan for Tamil Nadu, highlighting that the theme of his campaign is "Reimagining Tamizhnadu."
Kamal Haasan assured 'payment' to homemakers for their work at home, computer with high-speed internet to all households, and transformation of farmers to agri-entrepreneurs if his party MNM was voted to power in the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
Unveiling his party's seven-point "Governance and Economic Agenda", he also said people below the poverty line would be taken to "prosperity line".
The 7-point governance plan was released by Haasan in the presence of former IAS officer Santhosh Babu, who recently joined the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), in this temple town, close to Chennai.
The MNM said, if voted to power, its government would take steps to realise revolutionary poet Bharati's dream of women empowerment through education, employment, and opportunities towards entrepreneurship.
"Women will break through established glass ceilings by the equal opportunities provided to them by our MNM government."
Promising what the party called 'online homes,' the agenda said its government would provide a computer along with high-speed internet (100 mbps and above) through optical fibre cable to each and every home, as a common property resource by implementing the BharatNet and TamilNet projects.
Outlining 'Green plus revolution,' the party said farmers would be transformed to agriculture entrepreneurs.
It assured world-class infrastructural amenities like a cold chain from the level of villages, investments for value-added farming and giving a fillip to organic farming as part of its agenda.
(Inputs from PTI)
