On probable delay in Rajinikanth's party launch, Kamal Haasan says 'health most imp'

Addressing a rally in Trichy, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief and actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has opined on the upcoming launch of Superstar Rajinikanth's party. He said that he hopes Rajinikanth gets well soon as heath is the most important thing. This comes after it is speculated that launch of Rajinikanth's party might be delayed due to his ill health. Rajinikanth was discharged from Hyderabad's Apollo hospital on Sunday and questions arose regarding his impending political party launch on December 31.

Speaking to Republic TV, Rajini's aide - Tamilaruvi Manian - who is supervising the formation of the party, had said that the launch may get postponed as the Superstar has been advised a week's bedrest by doctors after being hospitalised over three days. Manian added that while announcing the party's name may take place on December 31, the party will most likely be launched after Pongal - January 14. 

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On December 3, Rajinikanth announced on Twitter that he would make the formal announcement of his political party on December 31 followed by the party's launch in January 2021. The following day, speaking to the media at his Poes Garden residence, Rajinikanth stressed that he would not go back on his promise to form a party and contest the 2021 Assembly polls in TN. While conceding that his political plunge was delayed due to health reasons, he stated that political change was a necessity at this juncture. Moreover, he named Arjunamurthy as his soon-to-be-launched party's chief coordinator, while Tamilaruvi Maniyan was made supervisor of the party's formation. 

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Kamal Haasan's campaign for 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections 

Kamal Haasan has started his campaign for the Tamil Nadu polls and is currently in its second leg. He has said that he will not ally with the Kazhagam parties and if his ideology matches that of Rajinikanth - who is due to launch his party in January 2021 - then he is open to discussing the idea of an alliance with him and is ready to be his CM face as well. The Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief has also released a 7-point governance plan for Tamil Nadu, highlighting that the theme of his campaign is "Seeramaipom Thamizhagathai." His 7-point governance and economic agenda includes schemes like 'Green Channel Government', 'Online Homes', 'Providing Urban Opportunities in Rural Areas' (PUORA), 'Women enrichment' among others. To woo the women voters, Haasan also assured ‘payment’ to homemakers for their work at home, a computer with high-speed internet to all households and the transformation of farmers to agri-entrepreneurs. He also promised to put an end to sand mining and to rejuvenate the rivers.

While launching his party at a public meeting in Madurai in February 2018, Haasan had said that his party will fulfil the vacuum in Tamil politics. He had also launched a party flag which showed six interlocked hands. The meaning, he had explained, was co-operation between the Southern states of India. In the Lok Sabha elections, the party contested 36 seats but did not win any, though the 2021 assembly polls are its first and potentially last true test. 

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'Rajinikanth's Dec 31 announcement may get postponed', says party aide after his discharge