Bengaluru: A fortnight away from the crucial R.K. Nagar Assembly by-poll in Chennai, there are hardly any visitors to meet the jailed AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala inside the Bengaluru Central Prison at Parapanna Agrahara.

“A couple of ministers and two Members of Parliament had come to visit Sasikala before the elections date for the by poll was announced. But now only her family visits her in the prison,” said an official source.

He added that visitors can meet Sasikala only on Mondays and Fridays after seeking prior permission from the Superintendent of Prison, Bengaluru Central Prison.

The R.K. Nagar Asembly by-poll is scheduled for April 12. The seat fell vacant following the demise of then Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalitha in December last year.

Ms Sasikala has been keeping a low profile and after receiving hate mail from people in Tamil Nadu, who blame her for Jayalalitha’s death, she has reportedly become even more reclusive. The letters addressed to convicts are vetted by prison officials before they are handed over to them.

“She has prison food and reads a couple of Tamil news dailies, which are given to her on request. Her relative and co-convict Ilavarasi is with her in the prison cell,” the source said.

Early this month, Sasiskala’s nephew and the newly inducted deputy general secretary of the AIADMK (Amma) faction T.T.V. Dinakaran had met his aunt at the Central prison for 40 minutes.

Later, Minister for Forests Dindigul C. Srinivasan, Minister for School Education Sengottaiyan K. A, Minister for Cooperation Sellur K Raju and an AIADMK? office-bearer had met Sasikala in the prison in which they had reportedly discussed on the poll strategy.