CHENNAI: Following on Kamal Haasan's footsteps, Rajinikanth is reportedly all set to announce his political prowl on his birthday, December 12. A source close to the actor said, “Rajini would form a separate party. He will not join any other party, including the BJP.” They added that even if the BJP is keen on roping in Rajini before the Lok Sabha election, the actor will save his energy for the assembly election, which he intends to be a Stalin vs Rajini fight. “Being spiritual, Rajini cannot be a Leftist. Not being a hardliner, he cannot be a Rightist too. He will be a centrist as that alone will attract all sections of the society.”
Writer Stalin Rajangam, however, said that the veteran actor is unlikely to involve himself in caste-centric politics in Tamil Nadu, when he has the advantage of being an outsider. “People like his subaltern style and identity. In movies, Rajini is just playing the roles that his directors give him. Rajini is a known dalit activist and his movies are bound to have undertones of dalit resurgence. 'Kabali' was a reaction to the 2012 Dharmapuri caste clashes. They do not reflect Rajini's political thoughts or plans,” he said.
Both the actors will possibly compete for the neutral votes of people who look for a change beyond the AIADMK and the DMK. “As on date, the DMK looks all set to wrest power in the state as there is no strong rival. Rajini's entry will change that dynamics. Apart from neutral voters, Kamal would try to eat into the anti-Hindu rationalist base, which may give hiccups to the DMK,” said analyst M Kasinathan. He stated that Rajini's disadvantage would be that the minorities would see him as BJP's tool.
Also, the actor cannot win the election on his own credentials. His success will depend on stitching together a winnable alliance, but that remains a big challenge. He can't approach the DML with chief ministerial aspirations, and in case he approaches the AIADMK and the BJP, other party leaders will have to bow down their goals for him. Rajini will end up being the government's mascot.
