Actor and aspiring politician Rajinikanth on Sunday categorically ruled out extending his support to any political party in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
He said he will not be contesting the Parliamentary polls, and reiterated that the Assembly election “is our focus”.
“No political party has my support for the [up]coming Parliamentary election. Therefore, no one should use my image or the flag of the Rajini Makkal Mandram or the Rajini Rasigar Mandram while campaigning,” he said in a statement.
On December 31, 2017, while announcing his intention to enter politics, the actor made it clear that he will field candidates in 234 Assembly constituencies as and when elections were held in the State.
Local body polls
He ruled out contesting the local body polls and was non-committal on the Parliamentary election.
In his statement on Sunday, Mr. Rajinikanth, who has in the past voiced support for the inter-linking of rivers, said, “One of Tamil Nadu’s main issues is water. In the upcoming Lok Sabha election, I urge people to vote for whichever party they think can form a stable and strong government at the Centre and solve Tamil Nadu’s water crisis.”
The actor met 32 district representatives of his Mandram from across the State at his Poes Garden bungalow in Chennai on Sunday. The announcement of his decision not to contest the upcoming polls came shortly after. Rajini Makkal Mandram was set up last year as a launch vehicle for his proposed political party.