J Jayalalithaa is seen sitting up on a hospital bed and sipping a drink in what is the first ever video of the Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister who died in December last year.

The video has been revealed just a day before by-polls in the RK Nagar constituency in Chennai, which was held by Jayalalithaa till she died.

The video has been released reportedly by a lawmaker supporting TTV Dhinakaran, the nephew of Jayalalithaa’s long-time aide VK Sasikala. Sources say the video is an attempt by the Dhinakaran camp to lay claim on the legacy of J Jayalalithaa amid a prolonged feud within the party.

Mr Dhinakaran, who was sidelined by the ruling AIADMK earlier this year, is contesting the RK Nagar by-polls against the official party candidate.

Jayalalithaa was in the hospital for three months last year until she died on December 5.

No one saw her in hospital, which triggered a massive conspiracy about her treatment and death. Questions had been raised about the state in which she had been brought to the hospital by Sasikala. Many had suggested that Jayalalithaa was dead when she was brought to hospital and she had been kept in hospital for political motives.

The Apollo hospital had said that Jayalalithaa was unconscious when she was brought on September 22.

Dhinakaran had earlier said while he had video proof that Jayalalithaa had been alive and was recovering in hospital, he did not want to reveal it as the former Chief Minister would not have liked to be seen in that state.