Amidst the ongoing political turmoil in Tamil Nadu, veteran actor Rajinikanth on Tuesday hinted that he might announce his much awaited and speculated political entry on December 31.
Addressing his legion of fans, Rajinikanth said he was not new to politics but stressed that he was hesitant to take the plunge as he knows the dynamics.
“I am not saying I will join politics… I am hesitant to enter politics since I know its dynamics. I will announce my stand on December 31,” Rajinikanth said on day one of his six-day meet with his fans.
“I am not new to politics, I have been here. If you step in, you have to win and to win in politics you need strategy and speed,” he added.
Rajinikanth, who enjoys a demigod-like status in the state has only added fuel to the ongoing political tussle in the state which has witnessed turbulence ever since the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalitha.
The announcement comes in the wake of RK Nagar by-election result, the constituency of Jayalalithaa, from where TTV Dhinakaran, the revel AIADMK leader and nephew of Jayalalithaa’s closest aide VK Sasikala won.
The duo was sidelined by Chief Minister E Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam in a power struggle that began immediately after Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016.
Dhinakaran’s victory has dealt a bodily blow to the ruling AIADMK government in the state.
The possibility of Rajinikanth’s political entry has been doing the rounds for two decades, but the superstar has only recently given strong hints that he was ready to take the plunge.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which got fewer votes than NOTA in the RK Nagar by-poll is anxiously wooing the superstar hoping to piggyback on his popularity to make a grand entry in the state.