Left leaders are my heroes; I am not saffron: Kamal Haasan

News Network

September 1, 2017

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 1: Days after asking his fans to be ready to march to Fort St George, where the TN Assembly stands, Kamal Haasan met Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Speaking to reporters after meeting the veteran communist leader, the actor said "Left leaders are my heroes, I am certainly not saffron.''

"My colour is obviously seen over the forty years I have been working in cinema. It is definitely not saffron,'' Kamal Haasan said about his political affiliations.

Both Kamal and Pinarayi Vijayan said politics was indeed part of their talk. However, both refused to throw more light into what transpired in the meeting.

Pinarayi Vijayan and wife Kamala received Kamal and the actor had a traditional Onam feast with the CM.

"It was a friendly visit. But, politics was part of our talk. We spoke about south Indian politics and happenings in Tamil Nadu," Pinarayi Vijayan said after the meeting. He said Kamal had been a friend for long but was seeing him for the first time after becoming the CM.

After the visit, Kamal Hassan said he wanted to come and meet Pinarayi Vijayan last year itself but couldn't because of an accident. "This is a learning experience for me", he said. To queries from reporters, Kamal said colour of his politics was definitely not saffron. When quizzed whether he would work with the left movement, he answered, "Wait patiently".

He visited Pinarayi Vijayan for interviewing him for the Onam special show of CPM- controlled Kairali TV. A year ago, Pinarayi Vijayan was among the first ones to congratulate Kamal Hassan on receipt of the prestigious Chevalier Award.

The actor has been taking on Tamil Nadu state ministers and even engaging them with political attacks over corruption and NEET of late. The actor recently took on the TN CM as well and wondered why no one has sought the resignation of the chief minister.

On how much time he can devote to politics, the actor said that "It's not about joining politics. But, it is about how much time I can devote.''

The actor further said that the issues were more important than the government and people were more important than the government.

Speaking about his meeting with the Kerala CM, the actor said that he has been talking to Kerala CM about it (joining politics) and taking advice from him. He further said that he would be meeting more politicians. "I'll meet more politicians before I take a call on joining politicis,'' the actor added.

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Voting underway in Karnataka bypolls: Family legacies and political heavyweights battle across 3 segments

News Network

November 13,2024

Bengaluru: An estimated overall 10.14 per cent voter turnout was recorded during the first two hours, since the voting began for bypolls to three Assembly segments in Karnataka on Wednesday, election officials said.

The voting began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm.

More than seven lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in about 770 polling stations in Shiggaon, Sandur and Channapatna, where a total of 45 candidates are in the fray.

While Channapatna recorded 10.34 per cent voter turnout till 9 am, it was 10.08 per cent in Shiggaon, and 9.99 per cent in Sandur, election officials said.

Voters, including women and elderly were seen queuing up in front of polling booths in these segments.

By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections.

As many as 31 candidates are in the fray from Channapatna, while Sandur and Shiggaon have six and eight contenders, respectively.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the three segments for the smooth conduct of the polls.

The by-polls will witness a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA alliance is in contest against the grand old party.

Among the three segments, Channapatna is considered to be a "high profile", where the contest is between C P Yogeeshwara, a five time MLA from the segment and former Minister, who joined the Congress quitting BJP ahead of nomination, and actor-turned -politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is Kumaraswamy’s son and former PM H D Deve Gowda's grandson.

BJP's Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai, is fighting Congress Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former Chief Minister in the 2023 Assembly polls, in Shiggaon.

Bharath Bommai and his father cast their vote at a polling booth in Shiggaon segment.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram's wife E Annapurna of Congress is contesting from the seat vacated by her husband, against, BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, who is considered close to party leader and former mining barron G Janardhan Reddy.

Annapurna, Tukaram and other family members cast their votes at a booth in the segment.

With Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai contesting, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai families are in the fray in this by-poll. Both their fathers and grandfathers have served as Karnataka's Chief Ministers in the past.

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