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Rajinikanth’s comments to his fans were as cryptic as Kamalahaasan’s comments on state politics Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Sharath Kumar, Vijayakanth…take your pick. In movie-mad Tamil Nadu, the transition from a film actor/director to politics is effortless. And, the latest chatter is about   Rajinikanth   joining politics. This is not the first time. Before the 2009 general election, a gathering of diehard Rajini fans converged at a small temple in Rajapalayam to pray that their icon get a divine message and join politics. With the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in a shambles after Jayalalithaa’s death and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seemingly powerless in wresting power, the state is sensing a leadership vacuum. Rajinikanth, once a bus conductor in Karnataka, who then made good in Tamil Nadu’s film industry, was supposed to meet fans from April 12 to 16. This meeting, for fans to get themselves photographed with the legendary actor, would have been the f...

Shiv Sena is leading in 84 seats, BJP 80, while Congress 31 in BMC The ruling   Shiv Sena   appeared all set to retain control over the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India's biggest and richest civic body, election officials said on Thursday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was pushed to a distant second slot in Mumbai in the civic body elections held across Maharashtra. Of the 227 BMC seats, the Sena led in 84, still short of the 114 needed for a simple majority. The BJP had won 80 seats while the Congress was at a distant third with 31 seats to its credit. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was poised to win 10 seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) eight and the All Indian Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen four. Stunned by the outcome, Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam offered to resign from the post. Buoyed by its imminent victory in Mumbai, Shiv Sena supporters celebrated across Mumbai. The BMC had an annual budget of Rs 37,000 cr...