People will resent move: Jaya's niece

CHENNAI: Hours after ministers and

AIADMK functionaries

on Saturday urged Sasikalaa to take over the reins of the party, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's niece termed the move “very unfortunate.“

Deepa Jayakumar, daughter of Jayalalithaa's brother Jayakumar, said it could lead to resentment. “I am not sure about the party workers, but the people are definitely not going to encourage this,“ she told TOI.

Asked if she would enter politics, she said there was nothing wrong in it if opportunities arose. “It is best to leave it to the people in a democracy .They can give the best verdict.The party should listen to them. They should go with the mood of the people because they are going to decide the future.“ She rejected claims that Jayalalithaa had named Sasikalaa as her successor. Rejecting claims that Jayala lithaa had named Sasikalaa or one of her relatives as her successor, she said, “My aunt kept them out of the political arena. I was an insider, so I happened to always hear that there were a lot of arguments, lot of misgivings on Sasikalaa's side. They did a lot behind my aunt and without her knowledge; that had always made her angry . A lot is not known to the cadres.“

If Jayalalithaa had ever wanted Sasikalaa to be her successor she could have done it long ago, Deepa said. “Why was it not done? Can they explain this?“ Deepa also expressed displeasure over the way the last rites were held. “It was very sad that none of our extended relatives [were] even informed or asked to attend the last rites. Tradition was not followed in the proper way ,“ she said. The last rites were performed by Sasikalaa and Deepa's brother Deepak.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.