J. Jayalalithaa

Jayalalithaa Jayaram or J.Jayalalithaa (born February 24, 1948, Mysore) is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, India (since March 2, 2002). She is also the general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (a regional party in the state). Currently in her second term, she is popularly called Amma (mother) by her followers.

Entry into politics

In 1981, she joined the AIADMK and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1984 marking her entry into the Parliament of India. Her association with politics grew from her relationship with M. G. Ramachandran, movie star and then Chief Minister. On M.G R's death, she was alienated by a faction of the party who chose to support M.G R's wife Janaki Ramachandran. Drawing on her massive popularity and her image as the "wronged woman", in 1989, she was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly?-incidentally, she became the first woman to be elected Leader of the Opposition. The then ruling party, the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - Dravidian People's Party), tried to assault her in the assembly, and there, she reportedly took a oath to enter the assembly house only as chief minister. In 1991, following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, just days before the elections, her alliance with Indian National Congress paid off as a sympathy wave propelled the coalition to a massive victory. She was re-elected to the legislative assembly and became the first elected woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu (Janaki Ramachandran was the first woman caretaker CM) serving the full tenure (June 24, 1991 - May 12, 1996). However, due to an anti-incumbency wave, and several allegations of corruption and malfeasance against her and her ministers, she lost power to the DMK in 1996, in a landslide defeat. She returned to power with a huge majority in the 2001 elections, having mustered a bigger coalition and defying many pre-poll predictions.

Related Topics:
1981 - Rajya Sabha - 1984 - Parliament of India - M. G. Ramachandran - Janaki Ramachandran - 1989 - Leader of the Opposition - Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - 1991 - Rajiv Gandhi - Indian National Congress - June 24 - May 12 - 1996

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~