Rajinikanth yesterday announced that he would not be taking the plunge into politics, shattering the dreams of his fans, and also disappointing many BJP sympathisers who were confident that the superstar’s entry into Tamilian politics would usher in a fresh ideology of spiritualism and dharma in the southern state, which for long has been afflicted by the demented worldview of the likes of Periyar. Needless to say, the decision of Rajinikanth to not enter politics will not excite the BJP as much as the saffron party would have liked. However, all is not lost, just yet.
“With extreme sadness, I say that I can’t enter politics. I alone know the pain I went through while announcing this decision,” the 70-year-old superstar said in a statement on Tuesday. “Without entering electoral politics, I will serve the people. This decision of mine will disappoint my fans and people but please forgive me,” he added. Of course, Rajinikanth has not announced that he will be a mute spectator to the politics of Tamil Nadu. As such, the BJP can still count on the superstar to aid the saffron party’s rise in the state.
It would be foolish to say that the BJP will win all by itself in the upcoming assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. The emergence of the saffron party in Tamil Nadu as a major player would be a steady process. Rajinikanth, by not entering politics, can still very well help the BJP in its growth in the state. By all indications, the BJP’s and Rajinikanth’s anti-Periyarism has come to be known openly. With the same enemy, the BJP can find a tremendous pillar of support in the superstar, who can help rally support for the BJP among Tamilians. The fight against Periyarism will take immense effort, and perhaps years from today. Yet, it is not an unassailable proposition for the BJP to turn into a formidable party in the state.
One must not be myopic and look at immediate electoral gains when analysing the BJP’s prospects in Tamil Nadu. It is highly possible that the saffron party registers a few wins here and there in the upcoming polls, which too, would be a result of the party’s steady rise in the state. Yet, in the long term, Rajinikanth could play a major role in furthering the ideology of BJP across Tamil Nadu, especially given the fact that he has now announced that there will be no political entry from his side. As such, without any personal gains to look out for, Rajinikanth could simply further the cause of the BJP and the RSS.
Meanwhile, the AIADMK threatening the BJP to fall in line and not expect to be included in the government after the elections early next year should make the saffron party realise that its alliance partners in Tamil Nadu simply want to inhibit its growth for their own gains. As such, the BJP should actively consider fighting it out alone in Tamil Nadu. While parties like the AIADMK will always have personal persuasions at heart to cater to first, a stalwart like Rajinikanth, who has no political party of his own could simply go all out in helping the BJP rise to prominence in the state. As much as liberals and a section of Indian media are excited about the announcement by Rajinikanth only because the BJP seems to have been left high and dry, a largescale rethink on their part is required. The world of politics is replete with a sea of possibilities.