For decades now, fans, and political leaders across party lines have been urging Tamil superstar Rajinikanth to join politics. On Saturday, RSS ideologue, Chartered Accountant and newly-appointed Thuglak Editor S Gurumurthy urged the star to take the plunge.
Speaking to reporters following the 47th anniversary of Thuglak magazine and its annual conclave in Chennai, Gurumurthy said, “Rajinikanth won’t enter politics just because I want him to. He should take the decision himself. People who will do good for Tamil Nadu should join politics.”
He also added that Cho Ramaswamy, the late Editor of the magazine and a friend of the actor had urged Rajini to take the plunge on several occasions. “Cho has told Rajinikanth several times, you should come into politics. Tamil Nadu needs you. That is our position in Thuglak and mine,” Gurumurthy said.
Tamil Nadu’s politics is deeply intertwined with the film industry, with five Chief Ministers having their roots in Kollywood. Political parties have, over the years, attempted to capitalise on Rajinikanth’s mass appeal. The most famous example cited is the 1996 Assembly elections when Rajinikanth’s punchline, “Even God can’t save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa is voted back to power,” helped the DMK-TMC combine sweep the polls.
He has, in the past, taken political positions - whether on the Hogenakkal water issue or the interlinking of rivers. During the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Rajini pledged his vote for the BJP-led NDA alliance, noting that the saffron party would strive for interlinking of all rivers in India.
Ahead of the 2014 Parliamentary elections, then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi visited Rajinikanth at his Poes Garden residence in Chennai. Although Rajini said there was nothing political about Modi’s visit, the timing of the high-profile visit was not lost on anyone.
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