Singhvi calls Rajinikanth 'BJP's puppet', compares him with Chirag Paswan & touts Stalin

A day after superstar Rajinikanth announced that he will launch his political party in January 2021 and provide the details about the same on December 31 this year, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi has called him a 'BJP puppet'. Opining that BJP has set up Rajinikanth with an aim to divide the votes of DMK, Singhvi asserted that the plan would flop as the time of DMK chief MK Stalin has come.

He also said that BJP will accelerate the downfall of AIADMK and claimed that BJP is attempting the 'Chirag stunt' in Tamil Nadu, referring to Congress' accusation that LJP went solo in Bihar, on the direction of BJP, in order to cut the votes of Mahagathbandhan. Singhvi also pointed out that Rajini's chief coordinator is a former BJP leader Arjunamurthy Ra, who shared stage with Home Minister Amit Shah during his Chennai visit.

Singhvi's colleague, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, while reacting to the development predicted that Rajinikanth would ally with BJP and Tamil Nadu Deputy CM O Panneerselvam (OPS), and would create a rift in AIADMK thereby causing a split of two leaves (symbol of AIADMK). The Congress leader also said that CM E Palaniwami (EPS) will be left in 'limbo' and only time will tell if TTV Dinakaran - nephew of Sasikala - would ally with EPS. 

READ | Gurumurthy congratulates Rajinikanth for political party decision; remarks on its ideology

Incidentally, within minutes of Rajini's announcement, RSS ideologue and Thuglak Editor S Gurumurthy hailed Rajinikanth's decision, and termed it as “Late but Latest”. He said that the whole of Tamil Nadu had been anxiously waiting for this announcement. Gurumurthy's reaction on the same is significant as the RSS ideologue recently met Home Minister Amit Shah on his recent Chennai visit. While it was expected that Rajinikanth would meet the Home Minister, Rajini's announcement after the meeting with his Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) cadre on Monday and his closeness to Gurumurthy hints at major political developments in Tamil Nadu ahead of polls. 

READ | Karti Chidambaram Predicts Alliance Between Rajinikanth, OPS & BJP: 'plan To Split AIADMK'

Rajinikanth's entry into politics

Even though Rajinikanth announced that he will join politics in 2017 and party symbol was launched in 2018, he did not contest the Lok Sabha polls last year and said that he is preparing for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. While Kamal Hassan launched his party Makkal Needhi Maiam, there were rumours that Rajini has also had talks with Hassan.

READ | Chandrababu Naidu welcomes 'good friend' Rajinikanth's entry into active politics

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu

Assembly elections are due during April-May 2021 in Tamil Nadu. DMK lost power to archrival AIADMK in 2011 and lost the assembly polls in 2016 as well. Roping in poll-strategist Prashant Kishor for the upcoming elections, Stalin-led DMK hopes to return to power in the state. Meanwhile, the relations between the state units of ruling AIADMK and BJP have been strained over issues of 'Vel Yatra', though that could easily be a political maneuver as the two parties have confirmed their alliance for the 2021 Tamil Nadu polls.

READ | On Rajinikanth's political entry, Swamy sees battle against Sasikala; opines on BJP's fate