After Rajinikanth Admits Talking To Parties, Daughter Praises His Timing

Chennai: Whether Rajinikanth will turn into a hyphenate as superstar-politician is a theory that is revisited regularly among his legions of fans and parties hopeful that he will choose them and not the others. The current instalment of when Rajinikanth will take a new day job - the understanding is always that it will be when and not if - has gained traction significantly because the 66-year-old said last month that he would enter politics "If it's God's will"; that was succeeded by him disclosing last week that he has been meeting political leaders. "I don't deny meeting them. We are in discussion."

Yesterday, his daughter, director Soundarya Rajinikanth told NDTV in Mumbai, "Dad has (always) done whatever is right at the right time. As a family, we will support and back him on whatever decision he takes."

The 66-year-old hero, known as Thalaivar to fans, has also said that an earlier foray in politics in the 1990s when he supported the DMK "was a mistake on my part."

By meeting representatives of farmers groups and fishermen in recent days, he has supplied bonus points to those who believe his political career is imminent.

O Paneerselvam, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who is known as OPS and commands one of the two factions of the state's ruling party, said last week that Rajinikanth "has every right to enter politics" but suggested he must run for election by caveating, "but he has to be voted by the people."   

When OPS split his party in February, he refuted allegations that his revolt was instigated by BJP chief Amit Shah in the hope of forming a new alliance in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP's presence is negligible.  

The BJP in Tamil Nadu has already invited the actor to join the party and Mr Shah has said "all good people are welcome to join politics."