Will Rajinikanth enter politics? He may announce on Monday

Superstar Rajinikanth is set to meet the office-bearers of his outfit Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) on Monday, sparking speculations that he may announce his decision on entering politics. The speculations are fuelled by the actor’s recent social media announcement that he’d decide on entering politics after meeting the RMM members, reports suggest.

The meeting will be held at Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam, Chennai, a marriage hall owned by the actor. The outfit has sought police permission for the gathering of 50 people at the venue, stating that COVID-19 norms will be followed.

Related news | Amit Shah may cajole a reluctant Rajini to launch political outfit

AVK Raja, RMM secretary for Chennai Central constituency, said all district secretaries have been told to be present at the marriage hall on Monday morning. “There’s a political vacuum in Tamil Nadu, we are hoping for good news tomorrow,” Indian Express quoted him as saying.

A month earlier, a leaked communique had alleged the actor was advised by doctors against entering politics due to his health situation and that he underwent a kidney transplant abroad in 2016. The actor had dismissed it as fake but said the part talking about his health was true.

Related news | BJP’s split-vote tactic in Tamil Nadu behind wooing of Alagiri

Rajinikanth had expressed his willingness to float a party and contest all 234 assembly seats in the state, back in 2017. However, he told a press conference earlier this year if his party wins the election, he’d not claim the chief minister’s seat and let another team run the government.

The past few years have witnessed several changes in the political landscape of Tamil Nadu with TTV Dhinakaran breaking away from AIADMK to float his own party AMMK and actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, posing fresh challenges to the mainstream Dravidian majors, DMK and ADMK.