DISAPPOINTED LOT
Fans ‘politically orphaned’ but give priority to Rajini’s health
Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com
30.12.2020
Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) functionaries are in a state of grief, unable to digest their leader’s decision not to launch a political party. Many said they were “politically orphaned”, but added they valued Rajini’s health more than anything else.
Namakkal district secretary R Arangannal and Salem district secretary A Senthil Kumar said the RMM office bearers had an informal interaction, after Rajini’s statement was released, and decided to wait for instruction from their leader to decide what to do next. Arangannal was hopeful that Rajini would interact with the RMM secretaries and give specific instructions as to what to do and whom to support.
Till the announcement from Rajini, the RMM functionaries were hopeful of fighting it out at the hustings, they said.
The three-page statement came as a bolt from the blue for many, who had been nurturing political hopes ever since Rajini made his maiden political comment way back in 1996. “Following Thalaivar’s (leader) instructions, we formed pollingbooth-level committees in almost 70% of the polling stations across the state. He was always in two minds. He had enough time to launch the party in the last two years after he made the announcement in December 2017. There was no Covid then, but he kept biding time. It is a big disappointment. He has left us politically orphaned,” said an RMM district secretary, preferring anonymity.
A few functionaries, who joined the mandram in the last two years, are exploring their own political options. “Thalaivar has put no restriction on us in taking our own political decisions. New entrants in the party may look for alternatives. But true fans of Rajinikanth will not join any other party. They will wait,” said Pepsi G Vekatesan, Dharmapuri district secretary of RMM. He said his team had formed 1,400 booth-level committees in the district.
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