For Jayalalithaa's Constituency, Team Sasikala Offers Special Manifesto

Chennai: In a giveaway of exactly how much is riding on this contest, TTV Dinankaran, who hopes to win the constituency of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has released a manifesto for RK Nagar in Chennai. Mr Dinakaran, 53, is promising a super-specialty hospital, mobile clinics, gyms and regular job fairs.

RK Nagar votes next month and now has Ground Zero status in the political warfare that erupted after Ms Jayalalithaa died in December, while she was still Chief Minister after a length stay in hospital.

Her legacy has been claimed by her close aide, VK Sasikala, and O Panneerselvam, who was her trusted lieutenant, filling in for her as head of the government - a task he was assigned once again after the politician's death by Ms Sasikala, who smoothly and immediately appropriated control of the ruling AIADMK. The plan went awry when Ms Sasikala decided she was ready to take over as Chief Minister and Mr Panneerselvam refused to give way.

The melodrama, complete with filmed visits to Ms Jayalalithaa's beach grave, was rapidly advanced by the Supreme Court which ruled in February that Ms Sasikala and Ms Jayalalithaa were guilty of corruption, and called for jail for the former. Ms Sasikala installed a proxy, E Palaniswamy, as Chief Minister before being interred, and Mr Pannerselvam founded a spin-off party.

For the RK election on April 12, both sides have been forbidden from using the AIADMK's two-leaves party symbol, easily identified by voters, or the official party name. Mr Dinakaran, who is Ms Sasikala's nephew has chosen a hat as his calling card. Mr Paneerselvam's candidate, E Madhusudhanan, has gone with an electricity pole.

Another contender is Ms Jayalalithaa's nice, Deepa Jayakumar, who was estranged from the politician but believes the distance was engineered by Ms Sasikala.

Opposition parties BJP and DMK are also contesting the election.