“It is the duty of the Central government to treat Tamil Nadu as part of the Indian Union and to keep the State wealthy and prosperous,” actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President Kamal Haasan said here on Friday. At a media briefing organised by the party to thank voters, Haasan said he expects the Prime Minister to treat Tamil Nadu on a par with the States where the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerged victorious. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance won 37 of the 38 Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls. P Raveendranath Kumar, son of O Panneerselvam, Deputy Chief Minister, was the lone winner from the AIADMK, which had led the coalition of the BJP, the PMK and the DMDK in the State. The MNM, which was formed in November 2018, fielded candidates in 37 Lok Sabha constituencies. The nomination of its candidates in Kancheepuram and Perambalur constituencies was rejected. Although the party secured only about 4 per cent of the total votes polled, it secured the third place in 11 Lok Sabha constituencies with candidates in Chennai South, Chennai North, Coimbatore and Sriperumbudur securing more than 1 lakh votes. However, the MNM could not make any impact in rural Tamil Nadu, which was dominated by the two Dravidian parties. “In the coming days, we will conduct more Gram Sabhas to understand the aspirations of rural population,” Haasan said and added that his party is not against any industry or development project as long as it does not affect the livelihood of farmers. Asked about him not committing full-time to politics, the actor-turned-politician said, “I don’t see politics as a business but it is my extracurricular duty, and, as an artiste, cinema and entertainment are my business.” “If you people give me a permanent office (in politics), I am ready to serve full-time as a politician,” Haasan added. The actor recently signed for Season 3 of the reality show Bigg Boss.