But AIADMK is turning out to be tougher to handle that they could have imagined. Sudhakar, who is managing the affairs of Rajini Makkal Mandram as of now, denied the ‘November launch’ and said that these rumours began circulating after a Tamil newspaper carried an unverified article to this effect. But Rajinikanth’s supporters claim the actor has been saving his energies for the 2021 state assembly elections. The decision to contest the 2019 parliamentary elections will be taken at an appropriate time. On December 31, 2017, Rajinikanth announced his intention to form a political party. In March, the actor had met the RMM district secretaries to explain his political stance. In March 2018, Rajinikanth took part in a meeting to unveil the statue of MGR and made his first political speech where he declared that he will deliver an ‘MGR rule’ once in power. Her decision to join the BJP instead, so close to the elections, is seen as a sign that the party will not be launched anytime soon. “Even if he eventually does, his party will only be another wing of Sangh parivar and I have serious doubts on whether something like that will work in a state like Tamil Nadu. Barring only a few political statements on Kanda Sashti Kavasam issue, reopening of Tasmac and Sattankulam police custodial deaths, Mr. Rajinikanth chose to lie low since March. His interactions with the media have always remained limited, yet they have never failed to churn controversies. Petta, in the trailer of which he opens a similar iron gate with the same swagger, is a reminder of how the phenomenon called Rajinikanth has grown over four decades to cast a lasting influence on Tamil cinema. Earlier this week, the actor, whose fans call him "Thalaivar" or "Ultimate Boss", had given the strongest indication of his plans, saying entry into politics needed a winning strategy. The ‘signal’ finally came months after Jayalalithaa had died and when Karunanidhi was inactive. Rajinikanth also had to clarify his comment calling the BJP ‘dangerous’ for its opponents – saying he made the remarks only in the context of the opposition parties. It appears many fans assumed she would join Rajini’s party. State party leader T Soundararajan tweeted: "Welcome actor Rajinikanths political entry with motto of corruption free good governance which is the sole aim of BJP". In 1996, Rajinikanth made his political aspirations apparent when he threw his weight behind the DMK-TMC (Tamil Maanila Congress – a breakaway group of Congress led by G.K. Moopanar) alliance and gave what later came to be famously known as the ‘Rajini voice’ against J. Jayalalithaa. In May 2018, after 13 people were shot dead by police when hundreds took out a protest against Vedanta’s Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi, Rajinikanth said ‘continuous protests would turn Tamil Nadu into a graveyard.’. Chennai: Released last week, the trailer of Petta – Rajinikanth’s next film in the offing – offers the quintessential Rajini fan a sense of déjà vu. Also read: Is Rajinikanth Really the Change Tamil Nadu’s Politics Needs? The renewed speculations about launch of the party in November may have stemmed from Mr. Rajinikanth’s reaching out to wide-spectrum of people from all walks of life about the consequences of his decision to contest elections. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler. One Year On, Rajinikanth's Plan to Form a Political Party Remains Just That. “He has been dropping hints for two decades now about his political plunge. Earlier party chief Amit Shah has said Rajinikanth was welcome to join the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met him during a visit to Chennai last month. “I don’t think he ever will,” opines Aazhi Senthil Nathan, writer and political observer in Chennai. Why ‘Spiritual Politics’ Alone May Not Make Rajinikanth a Political Thalaivar. After all, here was a party without a leader and a leader without a party. As we fight disinformation and misinformation, and keep apace with the happenings, we need to commit greater resources to news gathering operations. Despite his announcement last year, I maintain that it will not translate into reality,” says Senthil Nathan, adding that Rajinikanth’s vacillation is ‘grossly unfair’ to his own fans. “I will enter politics and launch a party to serve the people of Tamil Nadu as the (political) system in Tamil Nadu has been ruined,” he had said. “The fact that he has been signing film after film, and has remained largely non-committal on many issues concerning Tamil Nadu, has not gone down well with those who thought that he will be a viable alternative.”, Also read: Why ‘Spiritual Politics’ Alone May Not Make Rajinikanth a Political Thalaivar, But Vanni Arasu, deputy general secretary of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) in Tamil Nadu, refuses to buy the argument that Rajinikanth has made a dent in Dalit pockets. “He has already said he had no intention of fighting the Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Rajinikanth had announced on the last day of 2017 that he would enter electoral politics and founded the mandram in 2018 as a precursor to the yet-to-be-launched political party. Sources in RMM categorically said there was no point responding to such speculations and that Mr. Rajinikanth would be the first person to formally announce the date of the launch. The actor, who enjoys almost demigod status among his legion of followers, said he does not want cadres for his new party, but "watchdogs"  who will rope in people from every village. The same question remains even after a year – will he or won’t he? However, we have a request for those who can afford to subscribe: please do. The death of Jayalalithaa unleashed a power struggle within the ruling AIADMK over the last year that saw a split between Chief Minister E Palaniswami and his predecessor O Panneerselvam, a patch-up between the two factions, and then a loss in the RK Nagar by-election. Rajini mandram members dismiss rumours about launch of party, Subscribe to Morning Filter & Evening Wrap newsletter, Watch | All about the Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes, Watch | A ₹10 meal in Chennai inspired by Ramu Thatha, Boy from Arakkonam cracks NEET without private classes.