Inheritors of Jayalalithaa’s legacy: Camp Sasikala calls Panneerselvam ‘ZERO’

There is a possibility that camp OPS might field its own candidate against team Sasikala of the AIADMK for the RK Nagar by-election in April.

Chennai, March 9: The political drama in the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu is heating up, once again. The fissure in the rank of the AIADMK came out in the open on Thursday after the camp headed by Sasikala Natarajan (now serving jail term in Bengaluru) attacked rebel leader O Panneerselvam.

When reporters in Chennai asked TTV Dinakaran, deputy general secretary of the AIADMK and Sasikala loyalist, about prospect of OPS (as the former TN CM is popular known to all) in the run-up to the by-election in the RK Nagar constituency of Chennai, Dinakaran called OPS a 'zero'. Dinakaran went on adding that their main opponent is the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and not OPS.

The by-poll election to RK Nagar constituency which was represented by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa will be held on April 12, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. The EC's announcement came after three months of Jayalalithaa's death which led to the division of the AIADMK into two groups.

According to reports, camp OPS might field its own candidate against camp Sasikala of the AIADMK. There is all possibility of Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar contesting the poll from the RK Nagar constituency. Deepa and OPS share cordial relationship and team OPS might back her during the elections.

Earlier, Deepa made the announcement of contesting polls from the constituency while launching her own political front MGR Amma Deepa Peravai. "People continuously expressing interest in it (my contesting). I am definitely going to take that call and contest from RK Nagar," Deepa was quoted by news agency ANI.

Moreover, during a day-long fast demanding probe into Jayalalithaa's death by OPS camp on Wednesday, several AIADMK cadres joined the rival group. Reports say many MLAs now in camp Sasikala might switch side and join team OPS.

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