Jayalalithaa’s nephew backs OPS; ready to pay Rs 100 crore fine

Dealing a major blow to the Sasikala clan, the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s nephew Deepak Jayakumar, who was perceived to be supporting the Sasikala faction, lashed out at TTV Dinakaran, terming him unfit to be AIADMK’s deputy general secretary. The party leadership should rather be given to former chief minister O Panneerselvam to maintain its unity, Jayakumar said, and offered to pay the Rs 100-crore fine imposed by the court on Jayalalithaa.

“Dinakaran is not fit to be the party deputy general secretary. My aunt was opposed to family politics. She got Dinakaran MP post (sic), and she threw him out of the party too,” he told TOI, recalling the famous expulsion of the Sasikala clan – some 14 members, including Sasikala -from Poes Garden in 2011. Only Sasikala was reinducted by Jayalalithaa in 2012 following her public apology. Sasikala brought Dinakaran back into the party on February 15.

The party needs officials like Panneerselvam, E Madhusudanan and C Ponnaiyan (expelled by Sasikala for “anti-party” activities), Jayakumar said, adding, “I hope Dinakaran will understand that.”

Noting that Sasikala was like his mother, Jayakumar said, “My aunt (Sasikala) is already there (as general secretary). OPS anna (brother) should be given Dinakaran’s post.” He said the split within the AIADMK was nothing serious as it was only a family dispute. It would be sorted out amicably.

“There will be only one candidate for the AIADMK in Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency. Our goal is to defeat Stalin, not OPS or Deepa (Jayalalithaa’s niece),” he said.