india

Updated: Mar 12, 2020 11:59 IST

Actor and aspiring politician Rajinikanth said on Thursday that age limit and education are crucial in politics and that he will give new and deserving people a chance in his political party.

Presenting a roadmap for politics in Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth said at a press conference in Chennai that he will have a limited number of leaders in his party. He also highlighted the “political vaccum” in Tamil Nadu and acknowledged that there is a need to fill that space.

“I have never thought of the Chief Minister’s post. I only want a change in politics,” news agency ANI quoted Rajinikanth as saying. The Press Trust of India reported that Rajinikanth proposed the appointment of an “educated and compassionate youngster” as chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

There is speculation that Rajinikanth will join politics and contest the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, but the actor has so far not made his plans official.

Earlier this month, he had met some leaders from a Muslim outfit at his residence and discussed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with them. Rajinikanth had later said on Twitter that he is ready to play any role to maintain peace in the country.

The actor had also said in the past that he would be the first person to raise voice even if a single Muslim was affected by the CAA.

On December 31, 2017, addressing a packed fan base in Chennai, Rajinikanth had declared, “It’s a war... It’s a war. Get ready for battle,” indicating his intention to enter the political scene in Tamil Nadu which has been bereft of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi after the demise of the iconic leaders.

Initially, the actor had converted his informal fan club into the Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) - an association expected to be the base for his political party. The actor had also appointed office bearers and functionaries at various levels for RMM.

In October 2018, Rajinikanth had publicly claimed that 90 per cent of work for launching his party had been completed. But since then everything has suddenly turned quiet on Rajini’s political front.