Rajinikanth ended months of speculation surrounding his entry into politics in December. He announced that he would launch a party and contest in all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Rajinikanth ended months of speculation surrounding his entry into politics in December. He announced that he would launch a party and contest in all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

In his first public address since he plunged into politics in December, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Monday admitted that Tamil Nadu faces a leadership vacuum post the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and also in the wake of deteriorating medical condition of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. “Yes, Tamil Nadu faces a leadership vacuum, Yes, I am entering politics to fill that vacuum,” Rajinikanth said, eliciting rousing applause from an elated crowd in Chennai.

Before his speech, the actor had unveiled a statue of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran at the Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute in Chennai. In December last year, Rajnikanth had ended months of speculation surrounding his entry into politics and announced that he would launch a party and contest in all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. “I will definitely enter politics. In the next state assembly polls, my party will contest in all the 234 constituencies. In the local body elections, maybe before the assembly polls, we will not contest. I will take a call about the (2019) Lok Sabha polls when the time comes,” said the actor had said.

Follow the highlights of Rajinikanth’s maiden speech after he took his political plunge

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