Big satement by Superstar Rajinikanth “My Party will not contest in Lok Sabha elections”

Big satement by Superstar Rajinikanth ” He will not contest in Lok Sabha elections”

Rajinikanth on Sunday ended speculations over his candidature for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Issuing a statement, Rajinikanth said that he would not contest the General election and his party Rajini Makkal Mandram will instead focus on the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.

 On Sunday, Rajinikanth released a statement and said, “I will not be contesting in the Lok Sabha polls. Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election is our goal.” He added, “No one should use my pic or flags in the name of Rajini Makkal Mandram and Rajini Fan Club to support or campaign for any party.”

The 68-year-old, who has acted in over 200 films, appealed to his fans: “Tamil Nadu’s main problem in the coming elections will be water. Any party that will form a strong and stable government at the Centre and which can solve the water crisis of Tamil Nadu permanently through schemes and give an assurance to fulfil them should be given support and fans should vote on that basis.”

There has been speculation whether Rajinikanth would enter politics and fight elections. He some time back hinted at entering politics actively to fulfill the political vacuum caused by the death of iconic leaders M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.

While announcing his entry into politics, Rajinikanth had said he would be able to provide “good” governance like the late M G Ramachandran, the founder leader of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Rajinikanth had talked of spiritual politics that lent itself to speculation that he could back the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha battle in Tamil Nadu, which elects 39 members to the Lok Sabha.

“By this announcement, Rajinikanth signals that he is maintaining an equidistance between the BJP and the Congress. Also, he does not want any connection with the likely AIADMK-BJP alliance,” political strategist Jhon Arokiasamy said.

“Perhaps this was done after the reversals suffered by the BJP in the recent assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and other states. That apart, he is setting the Lok Sabha poll narrative for Tamil Nadu by referring to the water problem,” Arokiasamy added.

Rajinikanth has had a pro-Bharatiya Janata Party image in recent times and it is believed that he perhaps did not float a political party after the BJP suffered defeats in the recent assembly elections. The actor’s long-time colleague in cinema, Kamal Haasan, who has no love lost for the BJP, last year floated the Makkal Needhi Maiam party. He has announced that his outfit will contest the coming Lok Sabha elections on its own. Meanwhile, BJP leader H Raja told IANS: “Rajinikanth is consistent in his stand. On December 31, 2017 he said his target is only the Tamil Nadu assembly polls.”  According to Raja, it is only the BJP that can provide a permanent solution for Tamil Nadu’s water problem with its schemes of linking of rivers.