Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has supported Sasikala Natarajan, J Jayalalithaa’s longtime aide, for general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. This came after senior AIADMK leaders on Saturday had urged Natarajan to lead the party after Jayalalithaa’s death.

In a statement, Panneerselvam said, “If the AIADMK is to continue as a movement with military discipline, the only way out is Sasikala taking over as the general secretary and leading the party. There is no differing view in the party on this.” He added that those whose views differed were “not a cadre of this party”. He also said that the Opposition was spreading rumours about her. Natarajan had been the former chief minister’s closest aide for more than 30 years.

However, the former chief minister’s niece Deepa Jayakumar has come out against Natarajan taking over the party. Jayakumar, the daughter of Jayalalithaa’s brother, told Scroll.in that she and brother Deepak – who are Jayalalithaa’s legal heirs – were kept away from the deceased leader without any explanation. Jayakumar had also been prevented from meeting her aunt before she died. She said that if no explanation regarding her aunt’s death was given, she would take the matter “directly to the people, who would not allow anyone to hijack the AIADMK.”

Besides Jayakumar, other including veteran actor Gautami Tadimalla have alleged a conspiracy because of the secrecy that shrouded Jayalalithaa’s poor health and subsequent death.

Jayalalithaa had been in hospital from September 22 till she died on December 5. The 68-year-old was buried near her mentor MG Ramachandran’s memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai. Her death came as a shock to the state and party workers. The popular leader was the first chief minister to win a second consecutive term in the state in 32 years, after she won the state Assembly elections in May.