Tamil actor Kartik today formally announced that he was joining the All India Forward Bloc, an ally of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. In the 1980s, Kartik had starred in many Tamil hits.Two months back, actor Vijayakant floated his party, the Desiya Marumalarchi Dravida Kazhagam, with claims that it would pose a challenge for the two Dravidian majors — the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and its rival, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Kartik told scribes here yesterday, hours before he was to leave for Dhanbad where the AIFB’s national conference is scheduled from December 16 to 20, that he was confident of getting the post of General Secretary of AIFB’s TN unit.Hectic negotiations were on, he said, to placate the present General Secretary, L Santhanam, and his supporters. And, if his Dhanbad mission failed, he would float his own party, the actor said, pointing out nonchalantly that it would be one more splinter of the Forward Bloc, founded by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, in which Muthuramalinga Thevar, the freedom fighter hailing from Pasumpon village (today’s Ramanathapuram district), and leader of the Thevar community, played a significant part. In the recent months there has been much speculation about Kartik’s entry into politics. The actor confirmed that he had been holding discussions with the AIFB leadership for the past four months. Hailing from the Thevar caste (a powerful backward community in Tamil Nadu’s southern districts), which also happens to be the base of the AIFB and its various splinter groups in Tamil Nadu, the actor hopes to capitalise on his screen popularity, besides his caste, to make his political debut. A few functions recently organised by the actor through his social welfare outfit, Saranalayam, in a few districts of Tamil Nadu, turned unruly, with fans roughing up the actor and police. The district police threatened to deny permission to the actor’s programmes in the southern villages if not conducted in a calmer manner.
