Off the cuff | Party with no way home

Two years after merging his party with the BJP, actor-turned-politician R Sarathkumar is yet to receive a major appointment, leaving his supporters disgruntled.

All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi founder R Sarathkumar. (Photo | Express)

Is actor-turned-politician R Sarathkumar’s patience with the BJP reaching a tipping point? After merging his Samathuva Makkal Katchi with the saffron party, the former DMK man expected a significant role. However, two years on, he is yet to receive a major appointment, leaving his supporters disgruntled.

While Sarathkumar recently reaffirmed his loyalty to the NDA for the 2026 Assembly polls via Facebook, the decision by his personal assistant to share the post with media circles has raised eyebrows. With associates suggesting a rethink, all eyes are on whether his standing will be formally recognised soon

-S Kumaresan

The poster games

In Musiri, Tiruchy, posters calling for a ‘new face’ are doing the rounds, signalling the familiar churn within parties ahead of polls. The sitting DMK MLA belongs to the Mutharaiyar community, yet a rival group from the same fold is now nudging the leadership to consider an alternative, using posters as pressure.

In Tiruchy, where Mutharaiyars form a sizeable bloc, such manoeuvring is hardly unusual. As polls near, internal factions begin to assert themselves to shape ticket allocation. The strategy is to build early momentum so that even the renomination of the incumbent is no longer taken for granted. 

-Pearson Lenekar SR