THE ROAD NOT TAKEN: SUPERSTAR RAJINIKANTH’S TRYST WITH POLITICS

As the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are getting closer, discussions over the political dynamics within the state have been on the rise. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s influence has been growing steadily throughout the country and the party has been looking to make inroads in the state with Home Minister and former party president Amit Shah ready to visit Chennai on Pongal next week. The party is expected to conduct major rallies with many party leaders to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sway in the state led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). On the other hand, after 2 terms in the Opposition, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been gearing up for a fierce battle for the state even conducting regular cadre meetings during the pandemic which have been bringing in large followers at a village level through the state. While it remains to be seen how Congress will perform this time, given its recent history with alliances in other states it’s vital to see if the national party will help or hurt the DMK.

Even as the potential entry of Rajinikanth turned a lot of heads, it’s speculative at best how much impact his presence would’ve had in the final results. For now, party leaders will have to settle for an endorsement by him which can go anywhere, including to actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).