Rajinikanth to launch political party in January; will contest TN assembly elections

Chennai: A day after he met the senior office bearers of Rajini Makkal Mandram (Rajini People’s Forum), Superstar Rajinikanth on Thursday announced that he would announce the launch of his long-anticipated political party in January next year. More details of the party will be revealed on December 31, he said.

The party would participate in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the 69-year-old actor said in a tweet. “In the upcoming assembly elections, with people’s massive support, spiritual politics will emerge in Tamil Nadu. This spiritual politics will be characterized by virtues like honesty, transparency, incorruptibility and would be bereft of castiest and communal leanings.  Definitely, the wonder will happen,” he wrote.

“Mathuvom – ellaththaiyum maathuvom – ippo illenna eppavumae illai” (Let us transform everything; If not now, it will be never),” Rajinikanth added.

The move, which ended years of speculation, would force the major political parties to reorganize their strategies for the 2021 Assembly elections. Rajinikanth announced his entry into politics in 2017. However, no concrete decision on his part gave rise to speculations that he would not be involved in active politics.

Rajinikanth last went on social media in October to clarify on reports that he was in two minds about his political plans because of his health. The speculation was fueled by a leaked letter, presumably written by him, which said that he has a kidney condition and could be even more vulnerable to COVID-19.

“The doctors reportedly advised me that a vaccine was the only solution and they were not sure if my body would even accept it,” read the letter.