Rajinikanth rules out political foray yet again: Timeline of superstar's political U-turns since 1996

In Tamil Nadu, a transition from cinema into politics is nothing new.

After all, CN Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa all had successful stints as actors in the film industry before making a successful foray into politics.

After years of “will-he-won’t-he”, Tamil Nadu superstar Rajinikanth on Monday announced that he will not be entering politics and the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) will instead be involved in welfare activities.

The decision came after Rajinikanth said would consult his RMM functionaries on whether or not to join politics in the future, six months after he opted out of politics. “The forum will now function as Rajini Rasigar Narpani Mandram to carry out welfare activities,” the actor said after meeting the forum members.

"I have no plans of entering politics in future," said Rajinikanth, 70, after meeting with members of his forum.

Earlier in the Bengaluru-born actor had stated that he would launch his party in January 2021 ahead of the Assembly elections. However, during the last week of December last year, he did a U-turn and announced that he would not join politics, citing his health.

But his roar of “now or never” in politics last year ended with a whimper in the same when he finally said he would not take the political plunge owing to his frail health.

However, this is not the first time he has changed his mind. Indeed, his political journey has been marred by flip-flops.

Here's a timeline of all the times the superstar took a U-turn on the political front:

• In 2002, Rajinikanth announced his plans to start a “people’s movement” to highlight issues such as the Cauvery water-sharing dispute with Karnataka, and the need to interlink Himalayan and peninsular rivers, reported The Print. However at that time, he denied having any desire to see himself as a “political leader or statesman”.
• Over the years, however, Rajinikanth has thrown his weight behind different politicians but stayed away from the hustings himself. In 1996, Rajinikanth backed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) alliance.
• Though the actor’s opposition to Jayalalithaa was hyped by his fans as a prime factor for DMK’s success in the hustings in 1996, his declaration that he will vote for the BJP-AIADMK front in 2004 Parliamentary polls did not have any bearing.
• After a 2017 assertion that he would launch a political party and fight from all 234 Assembly seats in the 2021 elections in Tamil Nadu enthused his die-hard fans who had been awaiting an announcement that their ‘Thalaiva’ who beat up evil men on screen black and blue was now ready to clean up the ‘system’ with his political avatar.
• However, their joy was to be short-lived when in March 2020, he announced in a press conference that he never desired to be chief minister and that he would enter politics when he saw an upsurge among the people yearning for a change ushering in clean politics, prompting intense debates of “will he or won’t he.”
• However, within months, he seemed to have a change of heart and categorically announced floating a party in January 2021.
• He even named two seasoned politicians, Tamilaruvi Manian and Arjuna Moorthy, to see through the birth of his outfit. This was the best time to take the shot, he had said with a catchy Tamil phrase “ippo illana eppovum illa,” meaning if not now then never.
• With the spirited fans once again rallying behind the veteran, Rajinikanth made another u-turn in December 2020, when he said he will not enter politics in view of his frail health, putting an end to his long-nurtured plans and describing his then hospitalisation as a God’s warning.
• "Only I know the pain behind making this announcement,” the 70-year old actor then said, days before he was to spell out the contours of his party based on spiritual politics aimed at bringing a total change in the Dravidian heartland Tamil Nadu in the 2021 assembly elections.
• His announcement came as a shock to many, with Manian quitting politics and Moorthy later floating his own outfit. Many members of his Rajini Makkal Mandram, seen as a precursor to the possible political party, quit it and joined other organisations in the poll year.

With inputs from PTI

July 12, 2021 at 05:05PM