Resolutions and public gestures by fan groups of actors Rajinikanth and Ajith in support of the AIADMK-BJP alliance are being viewed as a notable development ahead of the Assembly election, according to reports. The trend is said to have caused concern within the DMK leadership.
After the entry of Vijay’s TVK, AIADMK and BJP functionaries are reportedly working on strategies to attract votes from Rajini and Ajith fan bases. In several constituencies, alliance candidates are said to be meeting fan groups directly to seek support.
During AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s campaign, Ajith fans have reportedly presented him with Ajith films as gifts. In places such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Nagercoil and Sivakasi, fans in some constituencies also gave photographs featuring Ajith and Palaniswami.
The report notes that Ajith has given his fans the freedom to vote individually, and that many among them are opposed to TVK. As a result, AIADMK-BJP leaders are said to be consolidating their support, while DMK candidates have also begun meeting Ajith fans to seek backing.
Similarly, Rajini fan groups are also being courted by the alliance. A Rajini fan club district office-bearer in Salem is said to have announced full support for the AIADMK alliance and plans to campaign for its candidates, while former AIADMK ministers in districts including Coimbatore, Sivakasi and Thoothukudi reportedly met fan club office-bearers to request support. The report adds that recent remarks by a TVK state functionary about Rajini triggered dissatisfaction among fans, leading to campaigning against TVK and renewed efforts by the BJP to secure Rajini’s support.
