Chennai: Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s niece J Deepa has decided to take an electoral plunge and has said she will be contesting the RK Nagar by-elections. The move comes even as the main political parties are yet to take a decision on their candidate for the election to be conducted before December 31.

“I will surely contest the RK Nagar by-poll and win it with the support of the people,” Deepa, who floated MGR Amma Deepa Peravai, said.

She claimed she would continue to take forward Jayalalithaa’s welfare measures once elected.

She also ruled out alliances and said there was little truth in reports that she would be part of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s group. Deepa said that she would go on a state-wide tour to gather support for her party and also hoped the AIADMK’s `Two Leaves’ symbol would come to her party and had submitted necessary papers to the Election Commission for this.

The seat had fallen vacant, following Jayalalithaa’s death and the Election Commission had cancelled the bye-election after it found large-scale bribing of voters by political parties, including the ruling AIAMDK (Amma) faction.