CHENNAI: Makkal Needhi Maiam ( MNM ) chief and actor Kamal Haasan on Wednesday released a list of candidates for 21 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The party will release in Coimbatore on March 24 the second list of the candidates for the remaining Lok Sabha constituencies and for 18 assembly constituencies where byelections will be held.Eight of the 21 candidates are businessmen. Three of them are doctors, and there are three lawyers on the list.The candidates include actor Nasser’s wife Kameela (Chennai Central), retired IPS officer A G Mourya (Chennai North) and founder of Dalit Munnetra Kazhagam and advocate Abin Poyyamozhi (Villupuram (R)). The party has fielded Dr M A S Subramanian in Puducherry.“I am interested in contesting in the elections. Let them (party workers) give the permission and advise me on the best options,” Kamal said while responding to a question whether he would contest. He said the decision would be announced on March 24.Replying to a question that the party spoke about women rights but only one candidate was among the 21 announced today, Kamal hinted that the second list would have a good presence of women candidates.“We have been interviewing the aspirants to find good candidates. It is delaying a bit. The party is also working on the manifesto and it would be soon released,” he said.Asked about the poll promises of the DMK and AIADMK that attracted him, Kamal said they attracted him when he was young. “They were not materialised, and there comes the MNM to implement the poll promises,” he said.On the charges levelled against the MNM by entrepreneur C K Kumaravel who quit the party a couple of days ago, he said there was no fuming in the party. It was just one person’s view. “He quits the party. If not, we would have removed him from the party as disciplinary action.”

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