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Rajnikant, superstar, shuns poll and pollsters

The election in Tamil Nadu will be colourless this time around.

Agreed, that is an exaggeration. But not by too long a chalk. The forthcoming poll will suffer in the southern state.

Because, you see, Rajnikanth, the heartthrob of millions and -- for want of a better phrase -- a most colourful personality, has distanced himself from the process. He shall not, he has made it clear, support the fronts led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or the Tamil Maanila Congress.

This is something of a surprise. Rajnikant was in the thick of things during the 1996 and 1998 elections. Then, the TMC, led by G K Moopanar, who is heading a separate front this time, had come out with posters of the superstar posing with a bicycle, its electoral symbol.

There is more to the news: the film star has also made it clear that his name, cutouts or photographs should not be used to woo voters.

But this hasn't really stopped the DMK. They have found a way around, employing the superstar's charisma indirectly to attract voters by releasing cassettes with propaganda songs, the tunes of which have been borrowed from popular Rajni films including Padayappa , his latest.

The ban was only on using the super-name, photographs and cutouts, right?

The cassettes were heard playing full-blast at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Madras, before being distributed to party units throughout the state.

By the way, a note for Rajni fans: the cassettes come cheap, only Rs 30 each -- so why not give it a go?

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