Kamal’s entry may be a hurdle for BJP

Besides, minor parties, which had formed a third front in the past, too are worried about a new hurdle in their plan of emerging stronger after decades of battle against charismatic leaders like AIADMK’s J Jayalalithaa and DMK’s M Karunanidhi.

For the DMK, although the focus on Kamal could take away some of the spotlight that should go to their working president MK Stalin, the principal opposition feels that Kamal’s entry could spoil the plans of the saffron party to bring super star Rajinikanth into the political mainstream to form a formidable alliance against the DMK. Kamal’s entry could turn the contest into a fight between the two prominent stars and split the votes that could go to the saffron party’s alliance with Rajinikanth as its mascot. Such a split could prove advantageous to the DMK, even if it manages to hold on to 30 per cent of its vote share. 

The smaller parties, which had been sandwiched between the two major Dravidian parties for decades with hopes to rise after the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and advanced age of DMK president M Karunanidhi too, are watching the actor’s move with unease, but they are refraining from commenting against him  openly fearing a backlash from his fans. 

However, political analysts opined that the actor’s confidence stems from his low assessment of the state people’s intelligence. Political commentator Badri Seshadri said, “Kamal Haasan is intelligent, but he is taking the people for granted and thinks he could win their support through his communication skills on television. He can attack the AIADMK which is in a state of flux. How can he take on the DMK which has a solid organisation and years of experience in government?” 

“How will he face the elections without a proper organisation to work on the field? He had not come out with a political agenda and plan for governance. He has not taken politics seriously and he thinks he can easily get people’s support, since he is intelligent,” Badri Seshadri opined.