DMK has last laugh as Rajinikanth decides not to launch political outfit
The DMK had the last laugh when reigning superstar Rajinikanth declared last Monday that he would not launch his political outfit as he had told his fans earlier in December 2020. On December 3, 2020, the actor accompanied by his close friend Tamilaruvi Manian and newly appointed coordinator Arjunamurthy announced from the forefront of his Poes Garden residence that ‘it will be now or never’. Everything associated with Tamil Nadu will change and we will see a new Tamil Nadu,” the actor had said on that Monday noon.
But within four weeks he made a volte-face and said that doctors had advised him not to go ahead with the formation of political party. Rajinikanth was acting in “Annaatthe”, his latest venture, the shooting of which was progressing at Hyderabad when his blood pressure started showing big fluctuation and was admitted to a corporate hospital. He was discharged after three days and the doctors advised him complete bed rest.
The climax of Mission-R started unfurling the moment Rajinikanth returned to Chennai amidst expectations by his fans that the important announcement would come at any time now. On Sunday December 27, 2020, the Rajini Fans Association issued a release asking his fans and followers not to be carried away by reports that the actor may dump his political plans. By Monday noon, the announcement was out about the actor making a final bow before his political fans.
The movie Annaatthe is being produced by Kalanidhi Maran, the grand nephew of former DMK president and chief minister late M Karunanidhi. Arjunamurthy, who joined Rajini’s political bandwagon was a close associate of late ‘Murasoli’ Maran, nephew of late Karunanidhi and father of Maran brothers, Dayanidhi and Kalanidhi. Arjunamurthy, who was a hitherto entity in Tamil Nadu shot into fame when he joined the BJP’s intellectual cell and later cast his lot with Rajini. This is the same Arjunamurthy, who had been demanding that “Murasoli” Maran should be honoured with Nobel Prize for Peace.
Dayanidhi, the younger of the Maran brothers, who is also a former union minister, had denied reports linking Murthy to his late father. “There is a false news published in media that Arjunamurthy was an associate or advisor to my late father Murasoli Maran. This is completely untrue. No such person had been an advisor to my father.” But Dayanidhi’s denial had to be taken with a pinch of salt as he had issued a legal notice to New Indian Express and S Gurumurthy for disclosing reports about the functioning of an illegal telephone exchange from the former’s private residence in Chennai while he was the union minister for communications. It has been more than ten years and a Chennai court is hearing the illegal telephone exchange case.
And third, Soundarya, Rajinikant’s second daughter is married into the family of a DMK leader late SS Ponmudi. Soundary’s second husband Visagan, a businessman is the son of SS Vanangamudi, younger brother of Ponmudi, who was close to M K Stalin, the DMK chief. One of the reasons cited for Rajinikanth exiting the political arena before making the entry is said to be family pressure.
Tamilaruvi Manian, described as Rajinikant’s Man Friday, refused to be drawn into any discussion on the topic.
“You may kindly excuse me. You can ask me anything except Rajinikanth. I don’t have anything to say about him.” Manina hung the phone. There was a sense of pain and dejection in his words.
