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Jayalalithaa's lookalike niece announces political debut

| | Jan 17, 2017, at 07:03 pm
Chennai, Jan 17 (IBNS) : In what could appear as an attempt to establish the second Avatar of J Jayalalithaa, her niece Deepa Jayakumar on Tuesday staked claim to the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's political legacy, saying she plans to contest elections and "follow in her footsteps", NDTV reported.

"I am starting a new journey in my life today, I plan to embark on my political journey at an appropriate time," Jayakumar, who bears a striking resemblance to her aunt, has been quoted as saying. .

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She was addressing her first press conference coinciding the observance of AIADMK founder and Jayalalalithaa's mentor  MG Ramachandran or MGR,

Jaykumar, however, said she reserves a bigger announcement for February 24, the birth anniversary of Jayalalithaa.

Replying a question whether she was going to join her aunt's AIADMK or launch her own party,  she said she will take a decision after consulting with the party cadre and the people.

Taking a dig at  Jayalalithaa's close friend Sasikala Natarajan, recently elected AIADMK chief, Jayakumar said, "I cannot accept anyone else in Jayalalithaa's position."


The London-educated 42-year-old daughter of Jayalalithaa's brother had complained last year that she was not allowed to visit her aunt at the Apollo hospital in Chennai. Later, she also alleged she was banned from her funeral in December.

"As a blood relative, I wanted to be with her in her most trying times as she was the person I loved the most and I always wanted to be with. I was even looked upon by many as heir apparent to my aunt," she wrote in a blog on NDTV.

Image: twitter.com

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