Ms Jayalalithaa has been hospitalised since September 22, yesterday she issued a signed statement.
Highlights
- Son of AIADMK leader said Jayalalithaa called to express her condolences
- His mother Visalaksh Nedunchezhian had died this morning
- Ms Jayalalithaa has been in hospital since September 22
A day after issuing a signed statement saying she had a "rebirth", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa -- who had been hospitalized for more than a month due to an acute lung infection - had telephoned the family of a leader of her party, the AIADMK.
N Mathivaanan, the son of AIADMK leader Visalakshi Nedunchezhian, said the chief minister had called to express her condolences on the death of his mother this evening. Ms Nedunchezhian, 93 , who had been ailing for some time, died today.
"The Chief Minister conveyed her condolences to me through phone," he told Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil news channel.
In a signed statement, Ms Jayalalithaa also said, "Visalakshi's death is an irreparable loss to the party."
Ms Jayalalithaa, who had been seriously ill, issued her first statement yesterday in more than a month, saying she had a "rebirth" because of "people's prayers". The statement, addressed to workers of her party and the people of Tamil Nadu, was signed by the Chief Minister. In it, Ms Jayalalithaa also said she was "waiting to fully recover and resume work soon".
Chennai's Apollo Hospital, where she was under constant watch by a special team of doctors, has said the Chief Minister can leave the hospital "whenever she feels fit".
The hospital, said its chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy, has fixed no date to discharge Ms Jayalalithaa. "Her discharge depends upon her. She has to reinvigorate herself to go back. What's required is recuperation. The team is working towards that," he said.
Ms Jayalalithaa had been admitted to the hospital on September 22 - but a prolonged silence from the doctors had triggered rumours about her health. With many senior leaders, including the state's Governor Vidyasagar Rao, visiting the hospital but not meeting the chief minister, the opposition had demanded that the government release her photograph. The demand had been turned down by her party.
Last month, Governor Rao had handed over the charge of the eight ministries the Chief Minister supervised to Finance Minister O Panneerselvam and authorised him to chair cabinet meetings.