CHENNAI: With Rajinikanth’s political entry fast becoming a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’, fans expressed concerns over whispers of Rajini riding into politics on the back of BJP. While the veteran actor shied away from any political talk while addressing fans in the city on Wednesday, the brand of politics he aspires to exude has become an elephant in the room.
“Thalaivar hasn’t said anything about joining BJP, but he will lose Christian and Muslim votes if he does,” said V Surya, president of Rajinikanth Rasigar Narpani Mandram. But affirming his allegiance nonetheless, he expressed confidence that the actor would indeed start his own party.
“There are no votes for BJP and Thalaivar will never join the party,” said K Selvam, a fan from Namakkal who had come to take his picture with Rajinikanth on day two of at the Raghavendra Mandapam.
While it is an open secret that the BJP had tried to lure Rajinikanth in the past, the recent mandate against the national party in RK Nagar bypoll has fans worried. “Hopefully, Rajini sir won’t fall for it. He doesn’t discriminate based on caste and religion. If he joins BJP, he won’t be able to continue like that,” said a fan who requested anonymity.
With Rajinikanth choosing to offer words of advice, such as “family always comes first” in his address on Wednesday, instead of establishing his socio-political stance, fans from Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Pudukottai and Thiruvarur were left in the dark.
When Express asked them their reasons for their extending support to Rajini as he transforms into a politician, most just said, “Because he is a good man.”
Lack of clarity
Rajini had claimed on Tuesday that the delay in the political plunge was because he knew the problems that comes with politics. But he didn’t say how he will deal with such problems with a political plunge expected just round the corner.
He hasn’t even voiced the problems he sees in TN and the solutions he would like to implement. In contrast, two other actors who entered politics this year, Kamal Haasan and Vishal, voiced concerns over the flaws they saw in the State.
After announcing that he would take a call on December 31, Rajinikanth said “one has to win if he is going to war” but he has continued to avoid naming who the enemy is and what the war strategy is.
While Kamal trained his guns against environmental degradation and Vishal said the delay in holding civic polls triggered his decision to contest the RK Nagar bypoll, Rajini’s silence is marked by awkward silence from fans when asked why they support Rajini the politician.
The last shot
Express found that fans who had come from districts also agree that this is Rajini’s last shot at politics.
“He will not be taken seriously later on if he retracts,” said the owner of a tea shop next to Raghavendra Mandapam who claims to regularly interact with those who hold posts in the fan club.
Rajinikanth is known to have been instrumental in the DMK-TMC victory in 1996 with his staunch/open opposition to Jayalalithaa returning to power. This political vigour seems to have escaped him two decades down.