At a time when the AIADMK’s propaganda secretary M Thambidurai has requested VK Sasikala to become the chief minister of the state, a new group has been formed in support of Jayalalithaa's niece, Deepa Jayakumar.
The group, started by an AIADMK cadre Rangaraj (37), was formed on Sunday in Trichy and has been named "Puratchi Malar Deepa Peravai".
Asked why he'd started the group, Rangaraj said, “We do not like Sasikala amma, we are believers of Jayalalithaa amma. When Amma was admitted in the hospital, they did not even allow Deepa inside the hospital and threatened her. We feel that Sasikala will forget MGR and Jayalalalithaa amma soon."
Speaking about the group, he said that about 10 lakh people have already joined from different districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. “We will make it big. We mainly want Deepa to take the place of Amma. She should become the chief minister of the state and do what Amma was doing. She should do more things for the welfare of the people,” said Rangaraj.
Rangaraj has been part of the AIADMK for the last 20 years. “In Trichy, about 90 percent of the people do not like Sasikala and many of her posters have been pulled down by the people. We are also staying away from the party because Sasikala has become the general secretary of the party,” he said.
What next? “Currently, we are making more and more people join the group. After 10 days, we will be going to Deepa amma and talking to her about the group. If she agrees, then we will be travelling to various districts in the state, asking for more support from people. We might also form a new party in her name and fight the elections,” he said.
He added that the members feel Jayalalithaa and Deepa are alike. “We have seen her so many times on television. She talks like Amma and we believe she is the only one who can take over the party and the state after Amma. If Deepa takes over AIADMK, we'd love to be part of the party,” he said.