Dravidian parties sense no threat of Rajinikanth's political party

CHENNAI: Five decades after the DMK seized power in Tamil Nadu — with a promise to stem continuous alternation of power within Dravidian derivatives — the political pitch in the southern state is being altered, yet again, by the entry of a celluloid star, vowing to weed out the corrupt with ‘spiritual politics’ and without a hint of Dravidianism.

Over a decade later actor Vijaykanth’s political foray, Rajinikanth enters the fray with similar outbursts over corruption, undemocratic intra-party hierarchies but with a touch of spirituality.

Although both the Dravidian outfits say it is still too early to identify Rajinikanth as a rival, the markings are all there, say party leaders. Durai Murugan, deputy le ader of opposition and a senior leader in the DMK, said: “It is clear from his opening lines about spiritual politics that there is a connection one can draw with the BJP. He did not speak anything about Dravidianism — because he has not been brought up in the conditions we were; so that is not surprising at all. But, there is no need to characterise him as a politician as he has not said much.”


Murugan has a little less to worry about compared to the AIADMK, the internal wrangles in which Rajnikanth indirectly referred to in his short speech announcing his arrival. The actor said he felt forced to act upon developments over the last one year — understood to be the factionalism and legislator sequestering that erupted after Jayalalithaa’s death. The party, however, brushes aside any inference drawn: “One need not assume it was the AIADMK he was talking about. As for his political entry, it’s a free country,” D Jayakumar, Tamil Nadu fisheries minister, told ET.

However, an AIADMK minister wishing to remain unidentified referred to Rajinikanth as a “force to watch out for,” and “not to be taken lightly,” adding that his entry should “put the incumbents on their toes ”.