Rajinikanth​ set to make electoral debut in Tamil Nadu polls, says will launch his political party in January 2021

Actor Rajinikanth (file image)

Superstar Rajinikanth announced on December 3 that he will formally launch a political party in January 2021, setting the stage for his much-awaited electoral debut.

The actor said in a tweet that he will share more details about his political party on December 31, 2020. In the tweet, Rajinikanth also vowed to participate in the upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and promised to bring about an honest and spiritual government. He added that a miracle will happen. Tamil Nadu is expected to head for assembly polls in April-May 2021.

The 69-year-old actor had met district secretaries of the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMR) -- the precursor of his party -- on November 30, to discuss the future course of action.

Tamil Nadu has seen three actors rise to the chief minister’s position in the past. Rajinikanth’s entry into politics had also been a matter of speculation for decades.

The state’s ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is now expecting a tough electoral challenge from its rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led by MK Stalin, TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and other parties.

There has been a political vacuum in the state since the demise of the two most powerful politicians there -- J Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK and MK Karunanidhi of the DMK.

Rajinikanth had announced his entry into politics three years ago and had also said he will launch his party at a later date. In August 2018, RMM had launched a 36-page manifesto of sorts, called the ‘Blue Book’. The book contained 25 main clauses outlining the dos and don’ts for his supporters and RMM office bearers.

However, in February 2019, he said that he and members of RMM would not contest in that year's Lok Sabha elections. At some point in 2019, both Rajinikanth and another superstar-turned-politician Kamal Hassan -- who heads the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) -- had expressed their willingness to contest together, if needed, for the welfare of the state.