The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Film stars should keep off politics: opinion poll

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 23, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Film stars should keep off politics: opinion poll

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JULY 22. There is bad news for film stars aspiring to become politicians. If a recent survey by Loyola College here is anything to go by, the majority opinion is against actors entering politics.

In an opinion poll on the `cultural and political scenario of the State', conducted by students of the Culture and Communication and Visual Communication departments, more than 70 per cent of the 6,500 persons interviewed felt that actors were better off staying away from politics. The results were announced to the media today.

Focus on two actors

The survey centred around two actors, Rajnikant and Vijayakant, and what the people of the 40 parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry felt about their possible entry into politics. From housewives (70.3 per cent) to government employees (87 per cent), the thumbing down of actors entering politics is overwhelming. More than 75 per cent of the respondents said they would not vote parties launched by actors.

However, among the smaller percentage of people who want to see actors take to politics, both Rajnikant and Vijayakant seem to enjoy similar support patterns. Among college students, Rajnikant was the choice of 11.7 per cent respondents and Vijayakant of 6.4 per cent interviewees.

S. Rajanayagam, head of the Visual Communications department, said the poll was based on an extensive survey model rather than on a random sample model, which most researchers use. "For a country such as ours, random sampling hardly works. Our survey is as extensive as it can be," he said. "It makes the results more reliable."

The opinion poll was originally planned to interpret the outcome of the recent parliamentary election. However, a row between Pattali Makkal Katchi cadres and fans of Rajnikant and Vijayakant prompted the students to extend their survey.

Confidence in UPA

Among the other findings, the survey points out that more than 70 per cent of the respondents are against non-elected persons getting nominated as Union Ministers. More than 60 per cent of the respondents expressed confidence that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government would complete its full term at office. A majority of respondents hoped that the Prevention of Terrorism Act would be revoked.

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