Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth, who on Sunday announced his entry into politics, said his party would strive for "spiritual politics" with the objective of establishing an "honest and corruption-free" government.

He explained that by "spiritual", he had meant "relating to dharma and equity", and that his politics would have "no links with caste or religion".

Rajinikanth announced he would resign if he failed to fulfil his promises in three years.

"We will contest all the 234 Assembly constituencies," he added, implying his party would go it alone.

The actor is a virtual demigod in Tamil Nadu, his mass following resembling that of the late matinee idol and chief minister M.G. Ramachandran, who never lost an election and ruled the state unchallenged for 10 years before his death.

Rajinikanth had provided a glimpse of his potential political clout way back in 1996 when, days before the Assembly elections, he had declared that "even God won't be able to save the state" if the AIADMK returned to power. The comment caused the then ruling party to be routed, with even chief minister Jayalalithaa vanquished.

Thereafter, Rajinikanth stayed more or less aloof from politics, ignoring entreaties and invitations from various parties and personalities, including BJP president Amit Shah, despite a personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In May this year, however, he caused a near-frenzy with his statement that "If God wills it, I will enter politics tomorrow", although he added that he would take the decision when "the war (election) comes".

In October, his wife Lata predicted that a "lot of change" would happen when her husband joined politics.

Rajinikanth dropped a strong hint on December 26, saying one needed a winning strategy before entering politics, and promising to reveal his decision on December 31.

On Sunday, he said he was joining politics not for love of money or power but because state politics had sunk to a low and "if I don't make this decision now, the guilt will haunt me".

"Even in 1996 I had an opportunity to enter politics. Do you think that one who was not bothered about power when he was 45 (in the summer of 1996) would dream of it when he is 68 (sic)?" he asked.

But he admitted: "It's very difficult to form a new party and win elections. It's something similar to collecting pearls from the ocean."

Rajinikanth said that at this stage, what he wanted for his putative party was not cadres but "watchdogs".

"I shall head these watchdogs. We should enlist everyone from every village. This is my first task for you. Let's not plunge into the political pond till then. At the appropriate time before the Assembly polls, we shall explain our policies and promises," he said.

Rajinikanth tore into the state's politicians without naming any party or individual. He alleged that people in the rest of the country "are laughing at us because our politics, especially during the past one year, has become so bad and put the state to shame".

He described the current political scene thus: When kings launched wars in the old days, they used to loot the enemy state; "now, in a democracy like ours, the elected representatives are looting our own people".

"The political system here is bad and should be changed. Everything needs to change; the time has arrived. We'll change the system; I want to bring about good governance," the actor said.

Jayalalithaa's death a year ago and the indisposition of DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi has left a vacuum in state politics and caused a split in the ruling AIADMK.

Recently, the state's other big actor, Kamal Haasan, announced his entry into politics although he is yet to join or form any party.

Kamal Haasan had challenged the ruling party for weeks, accusing it of corruption and bad governance. His first step, he said, was a whistle-blower app that would be ready for launch by January.

Rajinikanth, who had not been so openly critical, had been cryptic about his plans.