Twitter
Advertisement

Cinema makes a comeback in Tamil Nadu politics

After bigwigs like MGR, former cm J jayalalithaa, Kamal Haasan, now it is Rajinikanth

Latest News
article-main
Fans of Tamil actor Rajinikanth celebrate his decision to enter politics in Mumbai
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

With the entry of actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan into the arena at a time when the state's two of the tallest leaders – late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa and ailing DMK chief M Karunanidhi – are not even in the field, the Tamil Nadu politics has taken a "cinematic" turn.

After the demise of Jayalalithaa in December, 2016, the ruling AIADMK is in a disarray. And under its working president MK Stalin, the DMK is yet to prove its credential. The victory of the sidelined AIADMK leader and Independent candidate TTV Dinakaran in the recent RK Nagar bypoll has thrown the political arena completely open.

Though Rajinikanth is the latest entrant into the political scene, he has the potential to dramatically alter the state politics. Whether he becomes a chief minister like AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran or Telugu Desam Party founder NT Rama Rao or ends up like actors Vijayakanth or Chiranjeevi, is yet to be seen. Haasan, who is expected to return from the US next week, is also expected to launch his own party soon.

Like Haasan, Rajinikanth also cited wide-spread corruption in the state polity for his decision to enter politics and launch his own party. If Haasan, who is a known rationalist, is promising to take the centrist stand distancing from the Left and the Right politics, highly spiritual Rajinikanth promises to usher in "spiritual politics", devoid of caste and religious consideration.

Unlike Haasan, Rajinikanth made his political foray in 1996, when he backed DMK- Tamil Maanila Congress alliance to unseat the then Jayalalithaa government. But his second attempt at politics in 2004 came a cropper. In the Lok Sabha polls in 2004, the actor said he would cast his vote in favour of the AB Vajpayee-led BJP front in Tamil Nadu but he would not force his fans or the public to vote for the same. Both the BJP and its ally AIADMK failed to win even a single seat in the state.

Political observers also see BJP's hand in his political entry. Though little has come out from him on economy or social issues, he has always been a supporter of politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was one of the first to greet Modi's demonetisation move.

Writer and Dalit scholar Stalin Rajangam felt that Rajinikanth had more chances of becoming the CM in 1996 but now, he can become an important factor in determining the victory and loss of Dravidian parties. "Rajinikanth could do what the actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth, who founded the Desiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, failed to do. He enjoys a wider fanbase than any other actor in the state," he said. Vijayakanth, who founded the party in 2005, became the Leader of the Opposition in 2011 state polls, but he lost all seats in the 2016 Assembly polls.

The two actors' political plunge also came at a time when Tamil Nadu, for the first time in the last 50 years, was not being ruled by a person connected to the film industry. Since 1967, all CMs of the state had a connection with the film industry. DMK founder CN Annadurai and Karunanidhi were successful scriptwriters while AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa were actors.

Bernard D' Sami, professor of History at Loyola College, said Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan should not compare themselves with MGR and Jayalalithaa, who were successful both in the cinema and politics.

"Unlike MGR and Jayalalithaa, Rajinikanth and Kamal were not members of any political party," he said, adding that MGR was a founder member of DMK and he founded AIADMK after his expulsion from DMK.

"Even in the case of Jayalalithaa, she was groomed by MGR," he said. He felt that both Rajini and Kamal entering politics without any affiliation, background, and grounding would be a great challenge. "I think both of them will be taking a big risk," he said.

Rajangam said that Rajinikanth's non-Tamil origin could be a blessing as well as his Achilles heels. "Caste dynamics in Tamil Nadu works in such a way that no persons from majority caste after Kamarajar ruled the state. For the last 50 years, Tamil Nadu is being ruled by a person from non-majority castes, including Karunanidhi, MGR, and Jayalalithaa. This will help people from minority communities, like Rajini," he said, adding that Rajini's outsider tag and his ambiguous stand on Cauvery issue would be used against him by the Opposition parties.

THE TN POLITICS

  • After the demise of Jayalalithaa in December, 2016, the ruling AIADMK is in a disarray.  
     
  • The victory of the sidelined AIADMK leader and Independent candidate TTV Dinakaran in the recent RK Nagar bypoll has thrown the arena open.
     
  • Rajini joining the political scenario could be a game-changer.
Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement