Actor Rajinikanth is addressing supporters in Chennai on joining politics
Chennai: The long suspense over whether Rajinikanth would enter politics finally ended today, with the superstar's announcement made amid frenzied cheers of hundreds of supporters. "I will come into politics. I will do my duty," the 67-year-old declared in Chennai, saying he would form a new party. "Over the past one year, the events in Tamil Nadu have put the state to shame. People are laughing," he said, adding, "If I don't make this decision now... the guilt will haunt me". The death of AIADMK's iconic leader J Jayalalithaa last December is seen to have left a vacuum in the state's politics. Recently, the other big actor, Kamal Haasaan, had made his much-anticipated political debut.
Underscoring the need for a change, Rajinikanth said he would form a new party. "Everything needs to change, the time is here. We will change the system. I want to bring good governance."
"I will be the head of these watchdogs... We should rope in all people in every village. This is my first task for you. Let's not plunge into the political pond till then. At the appropriate time before assembly polls, we shall explain our policies and promises," he told his supporters in Chennai's Raghavendra Mandapam.
Over the last few days, posters came up in Chennai that say if Rajinikanth takes the political plunge, he would be the next chief minister.
The death of Jayalalithaa unleashed a power struggle within the ruling AIADMK over the last year that saw a split, a patch-up and then a loss in the election.
The AIADMK failed to retain RK Nagar seat, represented by Jayalalithaa and lost it to sidelined rebel TTV Dhinakaran, the nephew of Jayalalithaa's closest aide VK Sasikala, who had laid clain on her legacy.
Kamal Haasan, who announced political entry last month, had challenged the ruling party for weeks, accusing it of corruption and bad governance. His first step, he said, was a whistle-blower app that would be ready for launch by January.
Rajinikanth, who had not been so openly critical, had been cryptic about his plans. His pronouncement in May - "If God wills it, I will enter politics tomorrow" - had led to a frenzy. In October, it was his wife Lata Rajinikanth who predicted that a "lot of change" would happen when her husband joins politics.
Earlier this week, Rajinikanth, whose fans call him "Thalaivar" or "Ultimate Boss", had given the strongest indication of his plans, saying entry into politics needed a winning strategy.
In 1996, Rajinikanth had asked the people to support the DMK government and not its charismatic opponent J Jayalalithaa, famously declaring, "Even God can't save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa comes back to power again". The DMK swept the state polls in 1996 but later the superstar later described as "a mistake and an accident".
