Chennai
In what could be termed as the biggest anti-climax of the year, vis-a-vis Tamil Nadu’s politics, Superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday expressed his inability to carry on with his political aspirations, in the light of a recent health scare which saw the actor being hospitalised, and advised to take complete rest, avoiding undue stress. Having put out a letter on Twitter detailing the circumstances that led to this decision of pulling out from the race of the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the 70-year-old apologised to his supporters, and the cadre of the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM), for not announcing his party’s launch as promised on December 31.
This latest development has come as a body blow for millions of fans of the actor, as well as supporters of Brand Rajini who were hoping that his political plunge might herald a new dawn of statesmanship in Tamil Nadu. Even more disappointed were members of the RMM, which also doubles up as Rajini’s fan club, who believed that their decades-long wait would end on New Year’s Eve.
Interestingly, Rajini’s announcement has caused ripples across the state’s political circles, as questions of ‘what next’ seems to be on everyone’s minds. It’s a million-dollar question, no doubt. For this was a man, who seemed almost reticent to take up the highest public office in the state, in the event of a possible victory for his party. Even early on, Rajini’s comments when asked about leading the state as Chief Minister were nebulous at best.
Coming a full circle to his original stance, the Superstar once again indicated he would prefer fielding someone more qualified for the role of the CM, whereas he would opt for the role of a steering rudder. And that’s the reason why even the news of Rajini’s withdrawal from the upcoming polls has not extinguished the possibility of an ‘alliance’. Take, for instance, AIADMK’s D Jayakumar, who during a public event on Tuesday, said that the ruling party’s policies were focussed on public welfare and service-mindedness. Saying that these were values that Rajinikanth himself believes in, the Minister exuded confidence that his party would invite the goodwill of the Superstar.
Realistically, if one had to forecast who Rajini might rally behind, the options seem narrow. Allying either with the BJP-AIADMK combine, or even the DMK might be a far cry from that vision of change he spoke about. The reason is that Rajini’s promise of heralding a new wave of politics in TN has hinged on wresting power back from parties who have ruled the state, thanks to a seven-decade-old stronghold. Observers believe that the one person who shares the same agenda of ousting Dravidian heavyweights is his cinematic contemporary and a long-time friend Kamal Haasan, who has openly sought his support. But to expect the Rajini factor alone to swing the votes in favour of Kamal’s MNM is ambitious, to say the least.
Right now, there’s only one route left for Rajinikanth, and that is to end the speculation. If he is genuinely keen on acting on his intentions of being the conscience-keeper for a party that will create a better Tamil Nadu, then this would be the right time to point his supporters in that direction and not leave them guessing, as has been the norm for decades together.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android