Tamil Nadu politics is all set to see a major upheaval as matinee idol Rajinikanth has announced that he will make an announcement regarding his party on December 31. He said that it is “now or never” time, a time for changing state’s politics and he will be going ahead with his plans to enter the political arena in January 2021.
He said the doctors have advised him not to go on any campaign because of the pandemic and his health condition. Rajinikanth said he was thankful to his fans who prayed for him when he was bed-ridden. It is because of these prayers that he regained his health and he won’t mind if he lost his life now working for the welfare of his people, he said.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai, Rajinikanth said that his victory or defeat would be that of the people and vowed to work for them. Explaining the reasons for delay in the decision regarding his political plunge, he said that his ill health did not permit him. It needs to be mentioned here that at one time in 2017, he was close to making his political debut. He said there was need for a significant political change in the state and he will herald that with the backing of the masses.
In a related development, a political debate almost started simultaneously as Congress Rajya Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram asked on Twitter whether the BJP’s alliance with AIADMK “was still on”. The question assumes significance as the BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had met Rajinikanth during his recent Tamil Nadu visit. It has been speculated that the party may jettison its present ally and go with the new party.
Even as this is written, the news has floated in that AIADMK is keen to invite Rajinikanth in fold. Wishing the Superstar good luck, the deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneerselvam said: “anything could happen in politics,” adding that it could might well happen that the AIADMK would enter into an alliance with the superstar ahead of the 2021 Tamil Nadu polls.
About his next film ‘Annatha’, Rajinikanth said that about 40% of shooting was still pending but producer Kalanithi Maran has assured him that his entry into politics would not affect the shooting schedule. He said that an extensive state-wide campaign for the party would be undertaken by R Anjanamurthy and Tamilaruvimanian soon.
The next legislative assembly elections are due in Tamil Nadu in April-May 2021 and Rajinikanth’s entry into politics will upset all existing calculations. In 2011, DMK then led by M Karunanidhi had lost power to AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa and today both leaders are not around. Karunanidhi’s mantle passed on to his younger son Stalin.
Rajinikanth has made the announcement of joining politics after holding consultations with members and district secretaries of his fan clubs named Rajini Makkal Mandram. As has happened in the past, fan clubs in some southern states have made a smooth transition into political groupings and this one seems no different.