What Are The Challenges Ahead for Rajinikanth?

Rajinikanth, the legendary actor, entering the electoral fray in a state where the line between stardom and politics has always been blurred, is neither surprising nor new. Rajini finally decided to take a plunge after years of vacillation and even last minute dilly-dallying. But, challenges galore for superstar despite having a cult image. 

The political space in Tamil Nadu is too crowded. Rajini has to carve out sizeable political space for himself. The ADMK and DMK, despite sharing the identity of Dravidian politics, are engaged in a polarised political battle. The two national parties, BJP, and the congress, take a piggyback ride on either of the Dravidian outfits.
 
Kamal Hassan and Vijayakanth share the filmy political spectrum though Rajinikanth has relatively much more fan following. So the new entrant has to pierce through this choked political street. 

The spiritual politics espoused by Rajinikanth is shapeless, colourless, and odourless. However undefined, such a political idiom is unpalatable to the rational political thought of the Dravidian movement. 

Through his deeds and ideas, Rajinikanth sends a message that his colour tends towards saffron, unlike Kamal Hassan, who categorically stated that his colour is not saffron. But, the BJP seems to be not ready to invest in Rajinikanth fully. It is already cozied up to AIADMK, and Sasikala, perhaps, is waiting in the queue. Thus, Rajinikanth has to work out his political chemistry against complex alliance arithmetic. A range of smaller players catering to diverse sub-castes makes the political picture hazy for new entrants.

Unlike Kamal Hassan, Rajinikanth never displayed political acumen that is very vital in the electoral arena. He has to convert his huge fan following into voting. Besides, Rajinikanth has to relate his rather vague political ideas to people regarding how these ideas will impact their lives. He has to build a party organisation that would match the well-oiled political machines of DMK and ADMK.

The absence of legendary political leaders like Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi may present the electoral pitch buzzy for Rajini’s admirers. The outcome of his political soap opera largely depends on the context and the content of his political experiment.

By Prof K Nageshwar

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