The unpredictability of Rajinikanth and his politics

Speculation about Rajini taking political plunge dates back to 1995 when he openly declared that the then AIADMK regime should be voted out of power

Naan eppo varuven, eppadi varuvenu yaarukkum theriyathu, aana vara vendiya nerathula correcta varuven (No one knows when and how I will come, but I will come at the right time)

- Rajinikanth in and as 'Muthu'

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth truly lived up to this very famous punch dialogue that he delivered in his 1995 movie Muthu on Thursday when he announced that he will launch his political party and contest the 2021 assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

The announcement came as a surprise for many as the actor is believed to have told his fans on November 30 about his difficulties in engaging in election campaign due to his vulnerability to catching the Covid-19 infection. But, Thursday’s announcement ended decades-long speculation on his political entry conclusively.

Read | Rajinikanth to float his political party in January 2021

Only in October, the actor had given mixed signals. He termed a letter that was doing the rounds in his name as “fake” but admitted that portions relating to his health were “true.” After that statement, many concluded, the actor may wriggle out of his decision to launch a political party, but yet again, he proved he is unpredictable.

The speculation about Rajinikanth taking the political plunge dates back to 1995 when he openly declared that the then AIADMK regime led by J Jayalalithaa should be voted out of power. In 1996, he supported DMK-TMC led by late Congress veteran G K Moopanaar, and the combine swept the polls trouncing Jayalalithaa and her AIADMK.

However, Rajinikanth’s next two political statements supporting or denouncing a party did not create any magic among the people. The DMK-TMC combine which he supported in 1996 did not win in 1998 despite his lending voice and the PMK, against which he spoke in 2004, won all the six Lok Sabha seats it contested in 2004.

Also Read | Rajinikanth: The political suspense from 1996 to 2020

And, the man kept up the suspense on his political entry for over two decades. He made a definite announcement on his plunge on the last day of 2017, but gave mixed signals in the three years that followed. Besides his age, Rajinikanth has to come clean on speculation that he is being backed by the BJP, which has no considerable base for now in Tamil Nadu, and what he means by ‘spiritual politics’.

Prof. Ramu Manivannan, Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, feels Rajinikanth’s political entry may ruffle the feathers but may not create any major impact.

“The only thing that is consistent about Rajinikanth is that he is inconsistent. He has always said something, and done something quite opposite. And it is clear that he is a pawn in the hands of the BJP which has not been able to make any inroads here in Tamil Nadu,” Prof. Manivannan told DH.