Chennai: Some fans of film actor Vijay are likely to contest the rural local body elections in nine districts, to be held on October 6 and 9, perhaps with a view to paving the way for their hero to take the political plunge through the later elections in the State.
However, the fans with such political aspirations have been advised not to use the name of the fan club, Vijay Rasigar Mandram, though there seemed to have no bar on the carrying the photograph of Vijay in their propaganda material.
A meeting of office-bearers of Vijay Rasigar Mandram that met at Panaiyur in Chennai on Friday had discussed the issue in detail though no official communique on the proceedings was issued.
That Vijay has political aspirations has been revealed in many occasions in the past though nothing has been ever announced openly.
When Vijay’s film, Thalaiva (Leader), was all set to be released in theatres in 2013, with a tagline ‘Time to Lead,’ it ran into trouble with the then AIADMK government banning its release.
Perhaps Vijay was following the footsteps of actor Vijaykanth, who, prior to his launching the Desiya Murpoku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK), had asked members of his fan club to contest the 2001 panchayat polls and also use his images.
The DMDK was started later in 2005 and it was the fan club that helped building the party infrastructure around the State. Even in this rural local body polls, the DMDK is going alone without any alliance with bigger parties.
Kamal Haasan, whose Makkal Neethi Maiam had already contested a Lok Sabha and an Assembly elections, is also facing the voters on its own strength.
With the PMK deciding to break free of the AIADMK-led alliance, the AIADMK held talks with party functionaries of Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu district. On Friday, the party honchos had met State leaders of BJP apparently to discuss the seat-sharing.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission appointed IAS officers as observers for the local body polls. Each of the nine districts that are going to polls – Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi – has been entrusted with an officer.
To supervise the casual election to fill up local body posts in the other 28 districts, a total of 11 officers have been appointed with some of them in charge of two districts and some three districts.
