Will superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan join hands for Tamil Nadu’s Assembly elections in 2021? If Haasan’s comments on Tuesday are to be believed, this could be a possibility.
NDTV quoted Haasan as saying, “Rajini and I will travel together if there is a need for Tamil Nadu’s development. If there is a need for travelling together we will tell. Now, work is important. We can talk about our policies later. We are together for 43 years, we joining together is no miracle.”
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Rajinikanth made similar remarks as well.
“If a situation arises wherein me and Kamal have to join hands for the welfare of people of Tamil Nadu, we will surely come together,” PTI reported Rajinikanth as saying, responding to questions from reporters on Haasan’s remarks earlier.
Rajinikanth had on Sunday said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami “would not even have dreamt” of becoming the chief minister and described the AIADMK leader’s elevation as “wonder and marvel”. Rajinikanth’s comments were criticised by the ruling party.
Tamil Nadu has seen a leadership vacuum in politics after the death of J Jayalalalithaa and M Karunanidhi — arch rivals and the biggest political figures in the state for the past few decades. The BJP meanwhile has tried to take advantage of the situation to make inroads into Tamil Nadu politics, but has failed to succeed so far.
If Rajinikanth and Haasan join hands, it would see an alliance like never before and likely harm BJP’s efforts to succeed in Tamil Nadu.
The comments were made at an event in Chennai for Haasan completing 60 years in the film industry. Haasan agreed with Rajinikanth and said, “It is not a criticism, but reality.. truth.”
Both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have been critical of the BJP and the Modi government in recent times.
Rajinikanth had said earlier this month that the BJP had made efforts to to paint him “saffron” and that he, like an ancient Tamil poet Thiruvallur, would not fall for it. He was referring to the BJP releasing a photo of Tiruvalluvar in saffron clothes that created controversy. Rajinikanth had earlier also said that he would launch a party for the 2021 assembly polls in the state.
Haasan had, in a video in September, warned the Modi government that trying to force Hindi on non-Hindi states like Tamil Nadu would have terrible consequences.
Reminding people of the protests in Chennai after a Supreme Court order banning Jallikattu, Haasan said, “We respect all languages, but our mother language will always be Tamil. Jallikattu was just a protest, but the battle for our language will be exponentially bigger than that. India or Tamil Nadu doesn’t need or deserve such a battle.”
Haasan launched his party, Makkal Needhi Maiam, in February 2018. The party contested 36 seats in the Lok Sabha elections but failed to win any.
(With PTI inputs)