Cine stars joining politics not new in southern state

CHENNAI: Top film stars launching their own political party is nothing new to Tamil Nadu, a state which has been ruled for decades by icons connected with the tinsel world.

The 67-year old superstar Rajinikanth is the latest to foray into politics as he on Sunday announced his decision to launch a party before the next assembly elections.

It was the charismatic hero M G Ramachandran who first stormed to power in the state in the 1970s after forming the AIADMK. His arch-rival and former chief minister M Karunanidhi was also connected with the film world having penned scripts. Karunanidhi succeeded DMK founder CN Annadurai in 1969 as chief minister after the demise of the latter, who led his party to a historic win over the Congress two years earlier.

MGR, as Ramachandran was popularly known, had been featured from the word go as a messiah of the poor in his films unlike Ra jinika nth who began as a dashing personality, best known for his style and stunt.

Ramachandran broke away from DMK following differences with Karunanidhi and formed his own party. Protege of MGR, J Jayalalithaa, who had paired with him in several super hit films in the 1960s-70s, claimed his legacy after his death.

The party had then split and later merged in late 1980s with Jayalalithaa taking control and going onto guide the AIADMK as its supreme leader till her demise in December, 2016.

She held the chief minister’s post thrice, including after winning back-to-back elections in 2011 and 2016. Her mentor MGR remained CM undefeated till his death in December, 1987 unlike Jayalalithaa who also lost polls.