Coimbatore: Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan said his party and other circumstances would decide if he would contest the Lok Sabha elections.“I cannot take this decision independently, because it is not about me. The elections are about the people of Tamil Nadu,’’ he said after inaugurating his party office in Pollachi on Wednesday. “So, we cannot take a decision in haste just to grab the headlines. A decision in this regard will be taken by the party depending on conducive circumstances.’’ If he chooses to contest, 2019 Lok Sabha polls will be the maiden election for Kamal, given the actor does not enter the fray in any of the byelections.Kamal had in December said MNM would contest the Lok Sabha elections and he would also be in the fray. Back then, he had also said his party would align with like-minded parties to face the polls. Though Kamal did not spell out names of parties he was intent to align, there were speculations that MNM was keen on striking a deal with the Congress. With the Congress remaining key ally of the DMK and no clear signals from the latter, Kamal still maintained that he would ally with like-minded parties.“Political parties that work for the growth of Tamil Nadu and to remove corruption from the state are like-minded parties,’’ he said to a query on which are the parties he considers like-minded.In an apparent reference to national parties, Kamal said one cannot do politics in Tamil Nadu without taking into account Delhi. “When we are one country, we cannot remove Delhi and do politics here.’’Stating that ‘Kodanad’ has become a symbol of betrayal, he said investigating agencies should conduct a thorough probe into the mystery surrounding the bungalow owned by the late chief minister, J Jayalalithaa.Refuting allegation of AIADMK leaders that opposition parties were raising Kodanad issue for electoral gains, Kamal said more than opposition parties, it was the people of Tamil Nadu who were raising questions.Later in the day Kamal Haasan gave away ‘Sandron’ (scholar) awards to 12 people from various walks of life and participated in Pongal celebrations at Pollachi. Addressing the cadres, he gave a clarion call to them to enrol more party workers and strive hard for the Lok Sabha elections.“We have only two months. We have little time and our path to the peak is sloppy. But our arms are strong,’’ he said. He also ruled out his daughters Shruthi and Aksahara becoming his political successors in the party.

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