Deepa Jayakumar attacked VK Sasikala for what she called "hijack" of AIADMK after Jayalalithaa's death.
Highlights
- Deepa Jayakumar launched a forum called MGR Amma Deepa Federation
- She had attacked VK Sasikala for what she called "hijack" of AIADMK
- Ms Jayakumar too had staked claim to the legacy of "Amma"
Deepa Jayakumar will contest by-elections to her aunt J Jayalalithaa's RK Nagar seat in Chennai, made vacant by the AIADMK matriarch's death in December last year. Ms Jayakumar also launched a forum called the MGR Amma Deepa Federation today, not a political party she emphasised, and vowed on her aunt's 69th birthday to "retrieve the two leaves symbol" of the ruling party.
Like Ms Jayalalithaa's closest companion VK Sasikala, and O Panneerselvam, who the powerful politician had picked twice to be Chief Minister when she stepped down, Deepa too has staked claim to the legacy of "
Amma" or mother.
"Our aim is to work in the ways of Jayalalithaa. The AIADMK cadre wants me to take up a leadership role," she said today at her home in Chennai's T Nagar today, as around 4,000 people gathered outside her home to listen.
As the daughter of Ms Jayalaithaa's brother, Ms Jayakumar says she is family and so has the strongest claim. Her brother Deepak has claimed that former AIADMK chief has willed her property to their father and their sister, including Veda Nilayam the sprawling bungalow in Chennai's Poes Garden where Ms Jayalalithaa lived with Ms Sasikala.
Ms Jayakumar, 42 attacked Ms Sasikala for what she called a "hijack" of the party after Ms Jayalalithaa's death, which she wants investigated. "This was a planned event. My aunt threw out Sasikala's family. Now they have hijacked the party," she said.
Ms Sasikala, appointed General Secretary of the AIADMK days after Ms Jayalalithaa died had also planned to take over as Tamil Nadu's next Chief Minister, but the Supreme Court convicted her in a corruption case and sent her to jail. Before leaving Chennai for the Bengaluru prison where she is lodged, Ms Sasikala took swift decisions to ensure she can control the party from jail.
She had her proxy E Palaniswami elected by the party to be Chief Minister and inducted two nephews into the party -TTV Dinakaran has been made the AIADMK's deputy chief. Mr Dinakaran was in 2011 expelled by Ms Jayalalithaa and his return after her death has been described by Ms Sasikala's rivals as a sneaky betrayal of
Amma.
O Panneerselvam, who resigned as Chief Minister earlier this month had reached out to Ms Jayakumar to join his camp against Team Sasikala as they battled over which side is the "real AIADMK."
The AIADMK cadre represents the real AIADMK," Ms Jayakumar said today, adding that her forum is a "federation at the moment. We would collectively decide on turning into a political party."