Tamil superstar Rajinikanth said on Tuesday that he will announce his political stand on December 31.

Special Correspondent

"I am hesitant in entering politics as I am aware of the pitfalls. I am not new to politics, I know its depths. I have been watching politics closely since 1996. If I enter politics I will have to win. For that I will need a strategy".

Rajinikanth told his fans from Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and the Nilgiris districts of Tamil Nadu who assembled at the Sri Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai.

In May, Rajinikanth met his fans from 17 districts, including Cuddalore, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Chidambaram, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul and Sivaganga.

Earlier this week, Ms Jayalalithaa's party, the ruling AIADMK, failed to retain her RK Nagar seat and lost it to sidelined rebel TTV Dhinakaran, the nephew of Jayalalithaa's closest aide VK Sasikala.

Dhinakaran and Sasikala have scored a big upset not only for the ruling faction led by Chief Minister E Palaniswami or EPS and his deputy O Panneerselvam or OPS but also strong cadre based DMK.

The AIADMK, DMK turbulence has added fuel to the buzz over Rajinikanth's possible political avatar.

Rajinikanth, who has towered over southern films like a colossus for four decades and enjoys almost demigod status among his legion of followers, has promised an announcement on Sunday.

Over the week, he will meet some 1,000 fans daily across 18 districts. Today's meet began with an address by a film producer who launched Rajinikanth as a hero in his film Bhairavi in 1978.