Rajinikanth to launch own political party in January

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, December 3:

Tamil actor Rajinikanth announced in Chennai on Thursday that he will start a political party in January 2021 to contest in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and the date will be announced on December 31.

In a tweet in Tamil, Rajinikanth said: “In the upcoming elections, we will achieve a big victory with the support of the people. Spiritual politics will emerge in Tamil Nadu that will bring transparency, honesty…politics with no corruption and one that is free of caste and religious bias.”

“Miracles would happen!” he further declared.

On Monday, the actor held a meeting with district secretaries of the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM), an outfit that he started in early 2018 as a precursor to his political party. He had said he would make his decision (on a political plunge) known to people as soon as possible.

In December 2017, the actor had declared that his political entry was a certainty. However, last month, Rajinikanth raised doubts over his much-awaited political plunge after confirming that doctors have advised him against meeting people and campaigning during the elections as it would increase the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Assembly elections are due in the cinema-crazy state in May, 2021. Till now, the state had picked film stars MG Ramachandran (MGR) and Jayaram Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK as chief ministers. Muthuvel Karunanidhi of the DMK too was associated with the Tamil film industry as a script writer.

Another Tamil actor Kamal Haasan, too, is getting ready to try his luck in the coming state assembly polls.

The ruling AIADMK, founded by the Kandy-born MGR, is teaming up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is pitted against its traditional rival DMK, now headed by the late Karunanidhi’s son M K Stalin.