LIVE: Deepa Jayakumar Join hands with Panneerselvam in Tamil Nadu Politics

Chennai, Feb 15: Deepa Jayakumar, the niece of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who has recently made her debut in politics, joined the team of O Panneerselvam this evening. Ms Jayakumar joined the Chief Minister and his aides as they set out for a visit to the grave of Ms Jayalalithaa, which Mr Panneerselvam had chosen as the venue for his dramatic rebellion exactly a week ago.

A London-educated journalist, Ms Jayakumar, had earlier criticised the AIADMK’s move to elevate VK Sasikala to the post of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and had warned of political repercussions.
Ms Jayakumar had earlier said that she would announce her future plans only on February 24, the birth anniversary of Jayalalithaa, as a “tribute” to her. Today, asked if this was her political entry, Ms Jayakumar replied “Yes, I said Yes”.

Mr Panneerselvam’s tour to the Marina Beach cane minutes before Ms Sasikala, who was found guilty in a corruption case today and has been given a four-year jail term, left the Marina Beach resort, where she had been staying since last night.
“Sasikala is going to the place where she should be,” said the 41-year-old Ms Jayakumar, a lookalike of her aunt, who had made a bid earlier for the former Chief Minister’s political legacy. The party, she had said, wants her and not Ms Sasikala.

Ms Jayakumar had shot into the headlines after alleging that she had not been allowed to visit her aunt at Chennai’s Apollo hospital. Later, she claimed that she had been banned from her funeral in December.