Tamil Nadu: Flutter over posters asking Rajinikanth to enter politics

Coimbatore/ Chennai: “If people must prosper, you must rule”, said life-size posters of superstar Rajinikanth that suddenly appeared on the walls on several arterial roads in Chennai and Coimbatore. The posters bear the signature of an unknown outfit, ‘Coimbatore District People welfare forum’. The size of the posters and the large numbers used on the walls in the two cities have raised doubts if they had the star’s approval and if so, whether this could be taken as the beginning of his preparation to enter politics—some sort of testing-the-waters exercise by the overcautious actor.

Many wondered why the posters have come up now, when there is no Rajini film getting released and there are no elections in the near future. Rajinikanth had announced recently plans to hold ‘selfie’ sessions with his fans from all the districts. This led to speculation if the selfies were the start for the launch of the much-awaited political avatar of the star. “These posters, pleading with Rajini to come to politics, were not put up by any of his fan clubs in the district. The organization, people’s welfare forum, is unheard of”, said N Sathyamoorthy, Coimbatore district president of ‘Natchathira Nayagan’ Rasigar Mandram.

He said Rajini fans from Coimbatore would meet the superstar in the first week of May and urge him to enter politics. “Our ultimate aim is to bring him into politics to lead the state. This is the perfect time for our ‘thalaivar’ to take the political plunge,” he said. Around 275 fans from Coimbatore have been chosen to meet Rajini in Chennai. “The final date for meeting superstar is yet to be fixed,” Sathyamoorthy said.