Though the whole of Tamil Nadu is watching with bated breath the proceedings at the RK Nagar Assembly constituency, which is going to the bypoll on April 12 to elect a representative in place of late J Jayalalithaa, a meeting scheduled for Sunday at Chennai has become the talk of the town.

Fans of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth are meeting at Chennai on Sunday for a brainstorming session. “The district-level functionaries of Rajinikanth Fans’ Association are meeting at Chennai and the superstar is expected to address the gathering. This is the first such meeting to be held after 2009,” said an office-bearer of the RFA who did not want his name to be quoted.

Ground realities in Tamil Nadu following the exit of Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi from the centre stage of the State’s politics has added to the significance of the Sunday meeting convened by the RFA. “There is a leadership vacuum in Tamil Nadu and as on date, there are no political leaders in the State who can match the stature enjoyed by late Jayalalithaa and an ailing Karunanidhi, the eternal rivals,” said N Kalyanasundaram, Tamil Nadu’s political chronicler.

late Cho Ramaswamy, described as the cultural Czar of Tamil Nadu had always opined that Rajinikanth would be an ideal alternative to both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi. But the superstar, known for his down-to-earth image, till now had resisted the temptation to take a plunge into active politics. He enjoys good rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had called on the actor while electioneering in Tamil Nadu in 2014.

Interestingly, the Congress leadership becomes jittery whenever it is announced that Rajinikanth is on the verge of joining politics. All that could be said about the superstar is that he would not join Dravidian outfits, Congress or lefts.

The RFA functionary declined to answer when asked about the possibility of Rajinikanth making any announcements about his entry into politics. “Please do not ask such questions. Thalaivar (as Rajinikanth is addressed by his fans)  has to decide and declare about such things. We have been summoned for the meeting and we will attend it,’ said the functionary.

Rajinikanth was in the news recently for his decision  to skip the trip to Sri lanka for inaugurating a housing scheme for Tamils in Jaffna. Various fringe elements and outfits had pleaded with the superstar not to visit the island nation as a mark of protest to the alleged violations of human rights during the last phase of the civil war in May 2009. The actor , bowing to the wishes of these Tamil chauvinists had called off his scheduled trip much to the disappointment of his fans in Sri lanka.

He had also extended support to Gangai Amaran, the BJP candidate in the RK Nagar by-poll only to develop cold feet and declare later that no candidates were being supported by him. Rajinikanth had pleaded with the people of Tamil Nadu not to vote for Jayalalithaa in the 1996 assembly election which saw the AIADMK biting the dust. Though he had pitched for the NDA in the 2004 lok Sabha election, the front failed to win at least a single seat from the State. Since then Rajinikanth has been maintaining a safe distance from the world of politics though there is enough pressure on him from the fans to take a plunge.