Eye on polls, Rajinikanth to launch party in Jan ’21
CHENNAI: After days of speculation over his political debut, actor Rajinikanth announced on Twitter on Thursday that he will launch his political party in January 2021 and will win the assembly polls slated early next year in Tamil Nadu.
“We will win the assembly polls with people’s support and we will surely form an honest, transparent, corruption-free, caste-less and spiritual politics in Tamil Nadu. A wonder and miracle will happen,” Rajinikanth added a statement along with the tweet with hashtags translating into “if not now then never”.
He said that announcements regarding his party will be made on December 31.
On the same day, three years ago, the actor had made the announcement of his entry into politics but did not take any concrete steps in that direction hence.
Rajinikanth’s political entry seemed increasingly doubtful recently as doctors advised him against it amid the Covid-19 pandemic, owing to his age and comorbidities. His announcement comes as a relief for fans and the political extension of his fan club, Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM).
Recalling that he had undergone a kidney transplant in 2016 and the advice of doctors against venturing into politics since it involved campaigning considering the pandemic, he said this aspect made him ponder over the question of entering politics as reaching out to the people was necessary.
On November 30, Rajinikanth met district secretaries of RMM who had urged him to contest the upcoming polls but did not want him to compromise on his health either.
In the past three days, the superstar has been consulting several of his close aides, including founder of Gandhiya Makkal Iyakkam, Tamilaruvi Manian.
The meeting was held after a letter had leaked in October, stating doubts over Rajinikanth’s political debut. The star dismissed the letter as fake but admitted that the content about his health was true. It was the first time his renal transplant, which he underwent in 2016, was acknowledged.
Rajinikanth had first announced his decision of entering politics in December 2017.
In March 2020, he said he did not wish to be the chief minister and would pick someone educated and responsible as the chief ministerial candidate. The actor will turn 70 on December 12.