Open To Alliance With Rajinikanth's Party, Says TN Deputy CM Panneerselvam

Rajinikanth on Thursday announced that he will be launching his political party in January and added that a major announcement expected at the end of this month.

Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth gestures addresses a press conference to announce the launch of his political party in January 2021, in Chennai, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. (PTI Photo/R Senthil Kumar)(PTI03-12-2020_000115B)

Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, on Thursday, welcomed actor Rajnikanth's decision to float a political party and said that the two parties could form an alliance. Rajinikanth on Thursday announced that he will be launching his political party in January and added that a major announcement expected at the end of this month. "A political party will be launched in January; Announcement regarding it will be made on December 31st," the south Indian superstar said in a tweet. "In the upcoming assembly elections, we will definitely win the assembly elections and give an honest, transparent, corruption free and spiritual politics without any difference to any religion or caste," he further said. The actor also stressed that there is a need to change the government and also the political system in the state. Reacting to the announcement of Rajinikanth’s entry into politics, the deputy CM of the state, told reporters that the actor's party will not impact the ruling AIADMK. “There can be changes in politics and if there is an opportunity, then there can be an alliance with Rajinikanth's party,” he said. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister and AIADMK Joint Coordinator K. Palaniswami said he would comment about Rajinikanth's announcement only after knowing fully what he had said. The assembly elections of Tamil Nadu, which is due in 2021, are being considered as, the litmus test for the Chief Minister of State E Palaniswami, as he will be contesting as the CM candidate from the party, for the first time, after former CM Jayalalithaa. In the 234-seat state assembly of the state, AIADMK headed by E Palaniswami has a majority of 124 seats. While the opposition headed by MK Stalin has 105 seats, which consists of DMK, Congress, and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).