Updated: December 15, 2020 4:05:39 PM
Politician-turned actor Rajinikanth speaks at a press conference about the launch of his political party in Chennai (PTI).
Actor Rajinikanth who is hired make his political debut “Autorickshaw” is likely to be used as the election symbol for his party in Congregation polls planned for next year in Tamil Nadu, the name and other details of which he will announce on December 31st. While this is not yet official, it has learned that the electoral commission has assigned the symbol “autorickshaw” to a newly registered but unrecognized party called “Makkal Sevai Katchi” (MSK).
Rajinikanth, who played an auto rickshaw driver in his 1995 blockbuster ‘Baasha’, likely chose the symbol because it will have an easy connection with people. Even after 25 years, the Manickam character of the Tamil superstar in the film is still very much admired by his fans. Auto rickshaw drivers are often seen playing Rajinikanth’s iconic “naan autokaran” song from the film at each Aayudha Pooja festival across the state.
According to sources, the applicant who registered the party is a senior official of Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) in Thoothukudi. The registration process was carried out on behalf of someone else at the direction of Rajinikanth. The information provided by the applicant is also not known.
It is also learned that Rajinikanth’s party was first registered as “Anaithindhiya Makkal Shakthi Kazhagam,” with the actor seeking his signature “two-finger” pose, which became famous as a party symbol after his 2002 film Baba.
When Rajinikanth had pledged his support for the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) -DMK alliance of the late GK Moopanar in the 1996 parliamentary elections, the former’s party used the lines from Rajinikanth’s 1992 film ‘Annamalai’ as their party’s theme song. Rajinikanth had examined the role of a milkman in the film. Moopanar’s TMC, which was launched shortly before the election, used the posters of Rajinikanth riding bicycles for their campaigns as they fought on the bicycle icon.
Rajinikanth’s fans fought nationwide for the TMC-DMK alliance for bicycles, which is said to have played a role in their victory in their first election.
In the meantime, the electoral commission has denied actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) the “Battery Torch” symbol for the 2021 general election in Tamil Nadu. The Commission only awarded the symbol to MNM in Puducherry and to a party called MGR Makkal Katchi in Tamil Nadu.
In response, Haasan said, “Democracy is now in the sickbed”, adding that if they are denied the “battery torch” symbol, they will become Kalangarai Vilakku (lighthouse). On the other hand, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam has been assigned the “pressure cooker” symbol by TTV Dhinakaran in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
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