Rajinikanth likely to contest on ‘autorickshaw’ symbol in 2021 Tamil Nadu polls

According to sources, the applicant who has registered the party is a senior functionary of Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) in Thoothukudi. The registration process was done in another person’s name on the instructions of Rajinikanth. The applicant’s details are not known either.

It is also learnt that Rajinikanth’s party was first registered as ‘Anaithindhiya Makkal Shakthi Kazhagam’ with the actor seeking his signature “two-finger” pose, which became famous after his 2002 film Baba, as the party symbol.

In 1996, when Rajinikanth had pledged his support to the late GK Moopanar’s Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC)-DMK alliance in the assembly election, the former’s party used the lines from Rajinikanth’s 1992 movie ‘Annamalai’ as their party’s theme song. Rajinikanth had essayed the role of a milkman in the movie. Moopanar’s TMC, which was launched just before the election, used the posters of Rajinikanth riding a bicycle for their campaigning as they were contesting on the bicycle symbol.

Rajinikanth’s fans campaigned across the state for the TMC-DMK alliance on bicycles, which is said to have played a role part in their victory in their debut elections.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has denied the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol to actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in Tamil Nadu for the 2021 assembly election. The commission has allocated the symbol to MNM only in Puducherry and to a party named MGR Makkal Katchi in Tamil Nadu.

Reacting to the development, Haasan said “democracy is in sickbed now” and added that if they are denied the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol, they will become Kalangarai Vilakku (Light house). On the other hand, TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam has been allocated the ‘pressure Cooker’ symbol in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.