In an announcement which may alter political equations in Tamil Nadu, superstar Rajinikanth today announced his much-speculated entry into politics saying he would launch a party before the next state Assembly polls, triggering jubilation among his fans.
His decision comes at a time when the state is witnessing a political churning after the death of chief minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and virtual retirement of nonagenarian DMK chief M Karunanidhi.
Amid a thunderous applause from his fans, Rajinikanth, clad in a white kurta, declared, “I am joining politics and it is for sure.”
Espousing a new line of “spiritual politics,” the 67- year-old actor, whose inimitable style and quick reflexes have won the hearts of cine-goers over the decades, said his (yet- to-be named) party would contest all the 234 seats in the next Assembly polls, due in 2021.
The party would be launched ahead of the state election at “an appropriate time”, Rajinikanth said.
The cine superstar, who has a mammoth fan base, alleged that in democracy, parties were “plundering” their own people and such a system needed to be changed democratically.
In an apparent indication of keeping his options open for any possible tie-ups in the future, the actor asked his supporters to refrain from criticising or talking about everyday politics.
“Till such time (the launch of the party), let no one make any comment or criticise everyday politics. Those who are already in politics need to do that and we will launch our narrative once we enter the political mainstream,” he told his fans here at the conclusion of a six-day-long photo-session meet.