Press "Enter" to skip to content

‘We want only Rajini as CM’: Fans express disappointment at actor’s decision

Rajinikanth said he had no desire to become Chief Minister and would select a leader for the post while he headed the yet-to-be-formed party.

For lakhs of fans across the state who have waited over two years for Superstar Rajinikanth to launch his political party, Thursday ended in crushing disappointment. Members of the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) from across the state, expressed shock to TNM over his latest announcement and maintained that his decision was unacceptable to them.

Rajinikanth, while speaking to the media at the Leela Palace hotel in Chennai, stated that he had no desire to become Chief Minister and that he would select a leader for the Chief Ministerial post while he headed the yet-to-be-launched party. The actor admitted that when he pitched this to select advisors, politicians and district secretaries of RMM they were all against his decision. However, he was unmoved by the criticism.

“A good leader is not one who listens to everything his followers say,” he announced during his speech. “And a good follower is one who listens to what his leader says,” he added.

But in this case, 25 years after speculation of his political plunge first began, his followers are no longer ready to listen.

“We will not allow or accept this. We will go on a hunger strike till he agrees to contest for the CM post,” says Gopi Kannan, a 48-year-old member of RMM from Madurai. “We have all waited this long for him to come but now he is running away from politics again. And this, without even coming to the ground and meeting his fans and members of RMM. He has to first leave Poes Garden and visit people across Tamil Nadu to understand the mood that is prevalent,” he adds.

In Madurai alone, there are over 1.5 lakh RMM members, a large number of whom are women.

“He speaks of how Stalin and Edappadi have ‘asura balam’ (strength of the devil),” says Gopi, referring to Rajinikanth’s statement during the press meet where he said that the opposition and ruling party have the necessary man and money power to win the elections. “Only if he comes to the ground, he will even know what kind of man power he has,” he adds.

In other districts across the state, disappointment is the only takeaway from the press meet.

“We didn’t expect this to happen,” says 50-year-old Jinnah. “We now feel like we don’t know what the future of RMM will be or whether there will even be a party,” he adds.

Jinnah’s skepticism stems from the fact that Rajinikanth has refused to completely enter the political battlefield till all his fans followers accept his proposal to have a different Chief Ministerial candidate.

“I am not 40 or 50. I am 71. If you don’t accept what I’m saying now, how will you accept in five years? I need to see the revolution then I’ll come to politics. This has to spread across TN. And even India,” Rajinikanth had insisted.

Jinnah points out that this sudden development was announced without any warning.

“At least if he had said it two years back, we could have gotten used to the idea by now,” he points out. “If he just wanted to lead a party, why couldn’t he have joined some existing party? Why lead us to believe that he will be Chief Minister?” he asks.

Rajinikanth in the press conference had, however, clarified that he was never interested in a position, power or fame. He maintained that he wanted to do good for Tamil Nadu and would initiate systemic changes for the same.

“It doesn’t matter what he says now,” says Gopi. “We want only Rajini as CM. Even if he tells us to vote for someone else, we won’t do it,” he adds.

Source: The News Minute