Chennai, Mar 19 (PTI) Actor-politician Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam Tuesday announced its alliance with the Republican Party of India and allotted it one Lok Sabha seat and three assembly constituencies out of the 18 bypoll seats going to the polls on April 18. Asked if he would contest as a candidate, Haasan told reporters: "I will tell you. I have not announced names of candidates." President of the Republican Party of India S K Thamizharasan, who was also present, asserted that the alliance led by MNM's Kamal Haasan would provide alternative politics.

"In the upcoming parliamentary elections and 18 bypolls, the Republican Party of India would be supporting MNM and we have been allotted one lok sabha constituency and three assembly seats in Tamil Nadu," Thamizharasan said.

The RPI said it would be contesting on the same symbol allotted to MNM, which was allotted 'battery torch' by the Election Commission recently.

Commenting on aligning with MNM, Thamizharasan said, "Other parties are behind power, but certainly MNM's Kamal Haasan is going to provide alternative politics and take up politics of development of the poor and common man."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)