Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan begin work on building parties

CHENNAI: Movie stars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are drafting plans to build a grassroots cadre having confirmed their formal entry into the political arena. Haasan, in a statement, said late Monday night that he would embark on a “journey of discovery” in February to find out what people’s grievances and aspirations are. “...
Following this, I intend to meeting and spending time with people from the districts of Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai. In addition, at the commencement of my journey, I intend to announce the name of my party along with the guiding principles we intend to live by.”

Haasan took his first steps into politics by commenting on political issues on Twitter, emerging as an irritant to AIADMK. Rajinikanth, on the other hand, begun discussions with political advisors and has formed a team to recruit office-bearers in every district.

A committee would tour the state to handpick volunteers with administrative abilities. Speaking to the press outside his Poes Garden residence, actor Rajinikanth said the groundwork for partybuilding has begun and that he would be ready to face Assembly polls in six months.

Viewed as rivals in the industry—despite their off-screen camaraderie--both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan appear to have been drawn to politics by the developments in Tamil Nadu after Jayalalithaa’s death. InhisDecember31speech, Rajnikanth said the twists and turns in the state political dynamic forced him to decide to enter, lest he “spends the rest of the days in guilt.”

Analysts are of the view that the Rajini-Kamal era will be different for the absence of acrimony. “For several decades the Dravidian politics has been marked by rivalry and revenge. Both the actors have been friendly off-screen. I am sure it will carry on in politics,” Perumal Mani, a political analyst, based in Chennai.