CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister and DMK treasurer M K Stalin on Tuesday called on actor Rajnikanth at his Poes Garden residence ahead of a whirlwind campaign for the Assembly election. Stalin was accompanied by Chennai Mayor M Subramanian and the meeting lasted for about 15 minutes. Earlier in the day, Stalin also called on R M Veerappan, a close associate of former chief minister and founder of the AIADMK, M G Ramachandran, for his blessings.
Stalin's meeting with Rajnikanth assumes significance as it took place a week after political satirist Cho S Ramaswamy and a known supporter of AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa called on the actor. There were reports that Cho was trying to win over the 'voice' of the superstar for the AIADMK in the coming poll.
However, DMK leaders said Stalin had called on the actor only to get his wishes before beginning his campaign. In the past few days, Stalin has been meeting the leaders of all alliance parties.
Rajnikanth welcomed Stalin and offered a shawl and Stalin reciprocated it and explained the salient features of the DMK manifesto.
In the 1996 Assembly polls, when the DMK allied with the breakaway faction of the Congress, the Tamil Maanila Congress headed by G K Mooapanar, Rajnikanth campaigned for the combine saying, "Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if the AIADMK comes to power again."
It was said Rajnikanth's 'voice' was one of the factors that led to the victory of the DMK front. However, after Jayalalithaa returned to power in 2006, Rajnikanth hailed her as Dhairya Lakshmi (goddess Lakshmi endowed with bravery).
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