Former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa has again appealed to her supporters not to take extreme steps in the wake of her sentencing in a graft case, reassuring them she will overcome the latest legal challenge.

Last week, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had expressed concern over the death of 193 people due to various reasons including suicide, apparently upset over her jail term in an illegal assets case.

Since her statement on October 19, after coming out on bail, 26 more people have died, according to a list released by the AIADMK headquarters. Extreme reactions over the death or troubles of political leaders are not new in Tamil Nadu and similar drastic expression of grief has been known to erupt in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as well.