J. Jayalalithaa

(Redirected from Jayalalithaa)

Jayaram Jayalalithaa[b] (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and actress who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. From 1 January 1988 to 5 December 2016, she was the 5th and longest-serving general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK),[4] a Dravidian party whose cadre revered her as their "Amma" (Mother) and "Puratchi Thalaivi" (Revolutionary leader).[5]

J. Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa in August 2015
5th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
In office
23 May 2015 – 5 December 2016
Governor
Cabinet
Preceded byO. Panneerselvam
Succeeded byO. Panneerselvam
ConstituencyDr. Radhakrishnan Nagar
In office
16 May 2011 – 27 September 2014
Governor
CabinetJayalalithaa ministry – IV
Preceded byM. Karunanidhi
Succeeded byO. Panneerselvam
ConstituencySrirangam
In office
2 March 2002 – 12 May 2006
Governor
CabinetJayalalithaa ministry – III
Preceded byO. Panneerselvam
Succeeded byM. Karunanidhi
ConstituencyAndipatti
In office
14 May 2001 – 21 September 2001
Governor
CabinetJayalalithaa ministry – II
Preceded byM. Karunanidhi
Succeeded byO. Panneerselvam
ConstituencyDid not contest
In office
24 June 1991 – 12 May 1996
Governor
CabinetJayalalithaa ministry – I
Preceded byPresident's rule
Succeeded byM. Karunanidhi
ConstituencyBargur
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
3 April 1984 – 28 January 1989
Leader of the House
Preceded bySathiavani Muthu
Succeeded byPasumpon Tha. Kiruttinan
ConstituencyTamil Nadu
9th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
29 May 2006 – 14 May 2011
DeputyO. Panneerselvam
Chief MinisterM. Karunanidhi
Preceded byO. Panneerselvam
Succeeded byVijayakant
ConstituencyAndipatti
In office
9 February 1989 – 1 December 1989
DeputySu. Thirunavukkarasar
Chief MinisterM. Karunanidhi
Preceded byO. Subramanian
Succeeded byS. R. Eradha
ConstituencyBodinayakkanur
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
4 July 2015 – 5 December 2016
Chief MinisterHerself
Preceded byP. Vetrivel
Succeeded byT. T. V. Dhinakaran
ConstituencyDr. Radhakrishnan Nagar
In office
23 May 2011 – 27 September 2014
Chief MinisterHerself
Preceded byM. Paranjothi
Succeeded byS. Valarmathi
ConstituencySrirangam
In office
24 February 2002 – 14 May 2011
Chief Minister
Preceded byThanga Tamil Selvan
Succeeded byThanga Tamil Selvan
ConstituencyAndipatti
In office
1 July 1991 – 12 May 1996
Chief MinisterHerself
Preceded byK. R. Rajendran
Succeeded byE. G. Sugavanam
ConstituencyBargur
In office
1 July 1991 – 23 July 1991
Chief MinisterHerself
Preceded byP. Marapan
Succeeded byR. M. Veerappan
ConstituencyKangayam
In office
6 February 1989 – 30 January 1991
Chief MinisterM. Karunanidhi
Preceded byK. S. M. Ramachandran
Succeeded byV. Panneerselvam
ConstituencyBodinayakkanur
5th General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
1 January 1988[a] – 5 December 2016
Preceded byM. G. Ramachandran
Succeeded byEdappadi K. Palaniswami
Propaganda Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
5 September 1985 – 31 December 1987
Party PresidentM. G. Ramachandran
General Secretary
In office
28 January 1983 – 20 August 1984
Party PresidentM. G. Ramachandran
General SecretaryP. U. Shanmugam
Preceded byR. Manimaran
Personal details
Born(1948-02-24)24 February 1948
Mysore, Mysore State, Dominion of India
(present day Karnataka, India)
Died5 December 2016(2016-12-05) (aged 68)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Cause of deathCardiac arrest
Resting placeM.G.R. and Amma Memorial
Political partyAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
RelativesDeepa Jayakumar (niece)
Residence(s)Veda Nilayam,
81, Poes Thottam, Teynampet, Chennai – 600086, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma mater
Profession
  • Film actress
  • classical dancer
  • singer
  • writer
  • politician
  • philanthropist
Awards
Signature
Nickname(s)Amma
Puratchi Thalaivi
Kalai Selvi
Makkalaal Naan Makkalukaaga Naan
("I am by the people for the people")

Jayalalithaa rose to prominence as a leading film actress in the mid-1960s. Though she had begun her acting career reluctantly at her mother's behest to support the family, Jayalalithaa was a prolific actor. She appeared in 140 films between 1961 and 1980, primarily in the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. Jayalalithaa received praise for her versatility as an actress and her dancing skills, earning the sobriquet "Queen of Tamil Cinema".[6] Among her frequent co-stars was M. G. Ramachandran, popularly known as 'M.G.R.', a Tamil cultural icon who leveraged his immense popularity with the masses into a successful political career. In 1982, when M.G.R. was chief minister, Jayalalithaa joined the AIADMK, the party he founded. Her political rise was rapid; within a few years she became AIADMK propaganda secretary and was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament. After M.G.R.'s death in 1987, Jayalalithaa proclaimed herself as his political heir and, having fought off the faction headed by M.G.R.'s widow, V. N. Janaki Ramachandran, emerged as the sole leader of the AIADMK. Following the 1989 election, she became Leader of the Opposition to the DMK-led government led by M. Karunanidhi, her bête noire. In 1991, Jayalalithaa became chief minister for the first time and Tamil Nadu's youngest. She earned a reputation for centralising state power among a coterie of bureaucrats; her council of ministers, whom she often shuffled around, were largely ceremonial in nature. The successful cradle-baby scheme, which enabled mothers to anonymously offer their newborns for adoption, emerged during this time. Despite an official salary of only a rupee a month, Jayalalithaa indulged in public displays of wealth, culminating in a lavish wedding for her foster son V. N. Sudhakaran (Sasikala's elder sister son) on 7 September 1995. In the 1996 election, the AIADMK was nearly wiped out at the hustings; Jayalalithaa herself lost her seat. The new Karunanidhi government filed several corruption cases against her, and she had to spend time in jail. Her fortunes revived in the 1998 general election, as the AIADMK became a key component of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 1998–99 government; her withdrawal of support toppled it and triggered another general election just a year later.

The AIADMK returned to power in 2001, although Jayalalithaa was personally disbarred from contesting due to the corruption cases. Within a few months of her taking oath as chief minister, in September 2001, she was disqualified from holding office and forced to cede the chair to minister O. Panneerselvam. Upon her acquittal six months later, Jayalalithaa returned as chief minister to complete her term. Noted for its ruthlessness to political opponents, many of whom were arrested in midnight raids, her government grew unpopular. Another period (2006–11) in the opposition followed, before Jayalalithaa was sworn in as chief minister for the fourth time after the AIADMK swept the 2011 assembly election. Her government received attention for its extensive social-welfare agenda, which included several subsidised "Amma"-branded goods such as canteens, bottled water, salt and cement. Three years into her tenure, she was convicted in a disproportionate-assets case, rendering her disqualified to hold office. She returned as chief minister after being acquitted in May 2015. In the 2016 assembly election, she became the first Tamil Nadu chief minister since M.G.R in 1984 to be voted back into office. That September, she fell severely ill and, following 75 days of hospitalisation, died on 5 December 2016 due to cardiac arrest and became the first female chief minister in India to die in office.

Jayalalithaa never married and had no children.[7] On 29 May 2020, her nephew J. Deepak and niece Deepa Jayakumar were declared as her legal heirs by Madras High Court.[8] Her critics in the media and the opposition accused her of fostering a personality cult and of demanding absolute loyalty from AIADMK legislators and ministers, who often publicly prostrated themselves before her.[9]

Early life, education and family edit

Jayalalithaa was born on 24 February 1948 to Jayaram and Vedavalli (Sandhya) in a Tamil Brahmin Iyengar family at Melukote, Pandavapura taluk, Mandya district, then in Mysore State (now Karnataka). She had a brother named Jayakumar.[10][11][12][13]

Her paternal grandfather, Narasimhan Rengachary, was in the service of the Mysore kingdom as a surgeon and served as the court physician to Maharaja Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV of Mysore. Her maternal grandfather, Rangasamy Iyengar, moved to Mysore from Srirangam to work with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. He had one son and three daughters—Ambujavalli, Vedavalli, and Padmavalli. Vedavalli was married to Jayaram, son of Narasimhan Rengachary. The couple Jayaram-Vedvalli had two children: a son Jayakumar and a daughter, Jayalalitha.[14] Her mother, her relatives and later co-stars and friends referred to her as Ammu.[15] The name Jayalalithaa was adopted at the age of one for the purpose of using the name in schools and colleges. It was derived from the names of two houses where she resided in Mysore. One was "Jaya Vilas" and the other "Lalitha Vilas".

She is from the same lineage of popular figures like K. T. Bhashyam (Former minister of Mysore State and Chairman of Mysore Legislative Council) and famous lawyer L. S. Raju who made significant contribution in the history of Mysore State (Now Karnataka).[16]

Jayalalithaa's father, Jayaram, was a lawyer but never worked and squandered most of the family's wealth. He died when Jayalalithaa was two years old. The widowed Vedavalli returned to her father's home in Bangalore in 1950.[9] Vedavalli learnt shorthand and typewriting to take up a clerical position to help support the family in 1950. Her younger sister Ambujavalli had moved to Madras, working as an air hostess. She also started acting in drama and films using the screen name Vidyavathy. On the insistence of Ambujavalli, Jayalalithaa's mother Vedavalli also relocated to Madras and stayed with her sister from 1952. Vedavalli worked in a commercial firm in Madras and began dabbling in acting from 1953 under the screen name Sandhya. Jayalalithaa remained under the care of her mother's sister Padmavalli and maternal grandparents from 1950 to 1958 in Mysore.[9][14] While still in Bangalore, Jayalalithaa attended Bishop Cotton Girls' School, Bangalore.[17] In later interviews, Jayalalithaa spoke emotionally about how she missed her mother growing up in a different city. She had the opportunity to visit her mother during the summer holidays.[14]

After her aunt Padmavalli's marriage in 1958, Jayalalithaa moved to Madras and began to live with her mother. She completed her education at Sacred Heart Matriculation School (popularly known as Church Park Presentation Convent or Presentation Church Park Convent).[14][18]

She excelled at school and was offered a government scholarship to pursue further education.[17] She won Gold State Award for coming first in 10th standard in the state of Tamil Nadu. She joined Stella Maris College, Chennai; however, discontinued her studies due to pressure from her mother and became a film actress.[19][20]

The Poes Garden plot was bought by Jayalalithaa and her mother on 1 July 1967 at a cost of ₹ 1.32 lakh, measuring around 24,000 sq. feet (10 grounds) with a built-up area of 21,662 sq. feet.[21][22] Jayalalithaa's mother Sandhya died in November 1971 at the age of 47.[23] Jayalalithaa herself held the house warming ceremony of her residence Veda Nilayam (named after her beloved mother Vedavalli alias Sandhya) on 15 May 1972, early in the morning, followed by dinner and a Veena recital by classical musician Chitti babu in the evening.[24] Her brother's wedding took place at her Veda Nilayam home in Poes Garden in 1972.[25][26] Her brother Jayakumar, his wife Vijayalakshmi and their daughter Deepa Jayakumar lived in Poes Garden with Jayalalithaa till 1978[27] and then moved to T.Nagar Madras at the bungalow 'Sandhya Illam' which was bought by mother of Jayalalithaa.[28] Her brother was unhappy with adoption of Sudhakaran, a relative of Sasikala, as foster son of Jayalalithaa.[29] Jayalalithaa had adopted Sasikala's nephew Sudhakaran in 1995 and disowned him in 1996.[30] Her brother died in 1995 of heart attack.[31]

She was fluent in several languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and English.[32] She spoke with actress Saroja Devi in Kannada regularly as they were close friends and would talk to each other only in Kannada. She often conversed with Karnataka Chief ministers in Kannada. Basavaraj Bommai, the former irrigation minister and later chief minister of Karnataka said, "I was astonished by her Kannada slang and fluency."[33][34]

She was fond of having dogs as her pets. But after the death of Julie, a spitz, in 1998 she could not bear the loss and hence discontinued keeping pet dogs at her home.[35]

Film career edit

 
Jayalalithaa in Gandikota Rahasyam Movie – 1969

Early career edit

In Madras (now Chennai), Jayalalithaa was trained in Carnatic music, western classical piano[36] and various forms of classical dance, including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Manipuri, Kathak.[37] She learnt Bharatnatyam and dance forms under K.J.Sarasa.[38] She had also learnt Kuchipudi under Padma Bhushan Guru Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam. She became an accomplished dancer and gave her debut dance performance at the Rasika Ranjani Sabha in Mylapore in May 1960.[39] The Chief Guest at the Arangetram was Shivaji Ganesan, who called her a "thanga silai" (golden statue) and expressed wish that Jayalalithaa becomes a film star in future.[40][41]

While a child, Jayalalithaa acted in the Kannada-language film Sri Shaila Mahathme (1961), which starred Rajkumar and Krishna Kumari.[42] She had been taken to the studio by her mother as she was shooting in the same premises for a different film. While Jayalalithaa was watching the shooting, a problem arose as the child actress playing the Goddess Parvathy in a school drama scene in the film failed to show up and the producer Neerlahalli Thalikerappa and director Aroor Pattabhi asked Sandhya if Jayalalithaa could be asked to act in the dance sequence. Sandhya agreed and Jayalalithaa was swiftly dressed up as Parvathy and the scene was shot in Sri Shaila Mahatme.[43]

She played Lord Krishna in a three-minute dance sequence held on stage in the Hindi film Man-Mauji (1962) and danced with Kumari Naaz who played Radha. Y. G. Parthasarathy ran the drama troupe United Amateur Artistes (UAA), which staged English and Tamil plays. Soon Jayalalithaa while a schoolgirl began acting in some plays of Parthasarathy along with her mother and aunt. She acted in small roles in plays such as Tea House of the August Moon and Undersecretary between 1960 and 1964.

Shankar Giri, the son of the former Indian President V. V. Giri, saw her small role in the English play Tea Houses of August Moon and was impressed. Shankar Giri approached her mother Sandhya and told he wanted to cast her daughter in an English film called The Epistle. Sandhya reluctantly agreed with the condition that shooting should be held only during weekends or school holidays.[39]

Sandhya had acted in the 1964 Tamil film Karnan, produced and directed by Kannada film-maker B. R. Panthulu. Jayalalithaa accompanied her mother to a party related to the film and was spotted by Panthulu, who then decided to cast her opposite Kalyan Kumar in the Kannada movie Chinnada Gombe. He promised to finish all shooting within two months in order not to interfere with her education. Since Jayalalithaa would be studying for her PUC in two months' time, Sandhya had declined the offer initially.[44] Sandhya agreed when that promise was made and Jayalalithaa started acting and she was paid 3,000 (equivalent to 160,000 or US$2,000 in 2023). Panthulu kept his promise and completed shooting in six weeks. Jayalalithaa had forgotten all about films after acting in her Kannada debut film and had got ready to attend classes at Stella Maris as she had the ambition to be a lawyer. But the Kannada debut film became a blockbuster in 1964 and she became a well-known face.

Meanwhile, Jayalalithaa continued acting in Parthasarathy's plays. She played the leading role in plays such as Malathi, The Whole Truth, and the dance drama Kaveri Thanda Kalaiselvi between 1960 and 1966. She made her debut as the lead actress in Kannada films while still in school, age 15, in Chinnada Gombe (1964).[44] She also appeared in a dance sequence of a song named "Malligeya Hoovinantha" in the movie Amarashilpi Jakanachari (1964).[9]

She made her debut in Tamil theatre in April 1964, when she played a sales girl in the drama named Undersecretary. Parthasarathy and Sandhya were the lead characters, while Jayalalitha and Cho Ramaswamy were paired together and A. R. Srinivasan was also involved. The play was based on the lives of middle aged couple and Jayalaithaa played character of sales girl in the drama. Her performance caused Parthasarathy to make her lead heroine in a drama named Malathy. Meanwhile, the films she had shot during her vacation in April–May 1964—Chinnada Gombe and Manushulu Mamathalu—became blockbusters. By end of 1965, she had become popular among film producers and directors.[44] She was approached by C. V. Sridhar for her Tamil film debut as well. Between 1964 and 1966 she did around 35 shows of drama named Malathy and later discontinued as she became very busy in films.[39] It was during the year 1964, financial debts had increased of Sandhya and she suggested her daughter make use of the increasing film offers to come her way.[45]

Jayalalithaa's debut in Tamil cinema was the leading role in Vennira Aadai (1965), directed by C. V. Sridhar.[38] She made her debut in Telugu films as lead actress in Manushulu Mamathalu opposite Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Her last Telugu release was also opposite Akkineni Nageswara Rao in the film Nayakudu Vinayakudu, which was released in 1980.[46] She was the first heroine to appear in skirts in Tamil films.[47] She acted in one Hindi film called Izzat, with Dharmendra as her male costar in 1968.[48] She starred in 28 box-office hit films with M.G. Ramachandran between 1965 and 1973.[49] The first with M.G.R. was B.R. Panthalu's Aayirathil Oruvan in 1965 and their last film together was Pattikaattu Ponnaiya in 1973.[50]

Jayalalithaa donated gold jewelleries she had to the then Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.[51]

She had 11 successful releases in Tamil in 1966. In the opening credits of Arasa Kattalai, for the first time her name was affixed with the phrase "Kavarchi Kanni".[52] In 1967 she bought her bungalow, Veda Nilayam, in Poes Gardens for 132,000 (equivalent to 7.0 million or US$88,000 in 2023).[53]

Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar was on the lookout for a regular heroine for his production after he had fight with the actress Savitri after the release of Vetaikkaran, and he signed Jayalalithaa on in 1965. She became a regular heroine for production house Devar films from 1966.[54]

Jaishankar was romantically paired with Jayalalithaa in eight Tamil films including Muthu Chippi, Yaar Nee?, Nee!, Vairam, Vandhale Magarasi, Bommalattam (1968), Raja Veetu Pillai and Avalukku Aayiram Kangal, whereas the films Thanga Gopuram and Gowri Kalyanam had him play elder brother to her.

Jayalalithaa acted in twelve films as heroine opposite N. T. Rama Rao, in Telugu—Gopaludu Bhoopaludu (1967), Chikkadu Dorakadu (1967), Tikka Sankaraiah (1968), Niluvu Dopidi (1968), Baghdad Gaja Donga (1968), Kathanayakudu (1969), Kadaladu Vadaladu (1969), Gandikota Rahasyam (1969), Ali Baba 40 Dongalu (1970), Sri Krishna Vijayamu (1970), Sri Krishna Satya (1972), and Devudu Chesina Manushulu (1973). Jayalalitha had eight films with Akkineni Nageswara Rao in Telugu—Manushulu Mamathalu (1965), Aastiparulu (1966), Brahmachari (1968), Aadarsa Kutumbam (1969), Adrushtavanthulu (1969), Bharya Biddalu (1972), Premalu Pellillu (1974) and Nayakudu Vinayakudu (1980).

She also made a guest appearance in Telugu film Navarthi (1966). Her films in Telugu also included two with Krishna and one each with Sobhan Babu, Jaggayya, Ramakrishna and Haranath.[55] She was given on-screen credit as Kalai Selvi in most of her Tamil films since 1967.[44]

Later career edit

Between 1965 and 1973, Jayalalithaa starred opposite M. G. Ramachandran in a number of successful films, including Aayirathil Oruvan, Kavalkaran, Adimai Penn, Engal Thangam, Kudiyirundha Koyil, Ragasiya Police 115 and Nam Naadu.[48][56] Cho Ramaswamy cast her in the lead role in his directorial venture Yarrukkum Vetkam Illai.[57]

She acted with Ravichandran in ten films—Gowri Kalyanam (1966), Kumari Penn (1966), Naan (1967), Magarasi (1967), Maadi Veettu Mappilai (1967), Panakkara Pillai (1968), Moondru Yezhuthu (1968), Andru Kanda Mugam (1968), Avalukku Aayiram Kangal and Baghdad Perazhagi (1974).[44] In 1972, she acted opposite Sivaji Ganesan in Pattikada Pattanama, which went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil in 1973.

In 1973, she acted in Sri Krishna Satya, which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Telugu.[58] Her other films with Sivaji Ganesan include Galatta Kalyanam and Deiva Magan; the latter holds the distinction of being the first Tamil film to be submitted by India for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[59]

Jayalalithaa was paired opposite Sivaji Ganesan in 17 films. She acted in six films with R. Muthuraman as a romantic leading pair—Dhikku Theriyadha Kaattil, Thirumangalyam, Kanavan Manaivi, Avandhan Manidhan, Suryagandhi, Anbu Thangai[44] and Muthuraman played supporting roles in Kannan En Kadhalan, Major Chandrakanth, Naan, En Annan, Adi Parashakti, Thaer Thiruvizha, Dharmam Engey, Chitra Pournami and Oru Thaai Makkal. She made her debut in Malayalam with Jesus (1973).[60] Her 100th film was Thirumangalyam (1974), directed by A. Vincent.[61]

She was romantically paired opposite Sivakumar in Kandan Karunai and Sri Krishna Leela. Sivakumar played supporting roles in Shakti Leelai, Yarrukum Vetkam Ilali, Thirumangalyam, Annaivelakanni, Kavalkaran, Motoram Sunderapillai and Ganga Gowri.[62]

In 1972, Jayalalithaa was invited to perform with her dance troupe in Mysore for the Dussehra exhibition. Due to her busy shooting schedule and health reasons, Jayalalithaa had to cancel the performance at the last minute. Vatal Nagaraj's Karnataka-based political outfit condemned her for cancelling her dance performance in spite of being a Kannadiga girl. Jayalalithaa responded by issuing a statement contradicting him in an interview to Vikatan magazine that she was a Tamilian and not a Kannadiga. Jayalalithaa was at Premier studio in Mysuru for the shooting of the B. R. Panthulu's film Ganga Gowri. The group of Kannada activists from Vatal Nagaraj's outfit got to know of this and invaded the studio premises. The mob surrounded Jayalalithaa and demanded that she withdraw her statement of being a Tamil woman. Jayalalithaa was defiant even when mob had encircled her. "I am a Tamil girl, not a Kannada girl," Jayalalithaa responded loudly in Tamil, refusing to bow even as protestors gathered around her.[34][63]

The heroes of her films never objected to the title of the film being conferred on the female lead played by Jayalalithaa. Adimai Penn, Kanni Thaai, and Kannan En Kadhalan had Ramachandran as the lead male hero but the story and the title was built around the character played by Jayalalithaa. Similarly, Engerindo Vandhaal, Sumathi En Sundari, Paadhukaappu and Anbai Thedi had Sivaji Ganeshan as the male lead but the title and the story was built around her character. She did many female-centric films where the story revolved on her character, such as Vennira Adai, Yaar Nee?, Kumari Penn, Nee, Gowri Kalyanam, Magaraasi, Muthu Chippi, Thanga Gopuram, Avalukku Ayiram Kangal, Annamitta Kai, Vandhaale Magaraasi, Suryagandhi, Thirumangalyam, Yarukkum Vetkam Illai, and Kanavan Manaivi.

She received the title "Nadippuku Ilakkium Vahuthavar" from then Chief Minister Karunanidhi[64] and also won Tamil Nadu Cinema Fan Award for Best Actress for her 100th film Thirumangalyam in 1974.[65] Her last film in Tamil was Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal (1980).[48] Her last film as the heroine was Nayakudu Vinayakudu in Telugu,[citation needed] which became the highest grosser of the year in Telugu.

Her successful Kannada films include Badukuva Daari (1966), Mavana Magalu (1965), Nanna Kartavya (1965), Chinnada Gombe (1964) and Mane Aliya (1964). Jayalalithaa holds the record for having been the Tamil actress with maximum silver jubilee hits in her career—85 hits of 92 Tamil films as main female lead heroine and she also has all 28 films in Telugu as silver jubilee hits.[45] She was the highest-paid Indian actress from 1965 to 1980. She made guest appearances in nine films and six of her films were dubbed into Hindi. She had 119 box office hits between 1961 and 1980, of the total 125 films she did as the main female lead. She made a brief appearance in 1992's Neenga Nalla Irukkanum.[66]

She acted in mythological films like Kandan Karunai, Aadhi Parashakti, Shri Krishna Satya, Shri Krishna Vijayam, Shri Rama Katha, Shri Krishna Leela, Shakti Leelai, Ganga Gowri, Annai Velankanni and Jesus. Her period dramas include Ayirathil Oruvan, Neerum Neruppum, Mani Magudam, Adimai Penn, Ali Baba 40 Dongalu, Arasa Katalai, and Baghdad Perazhagi.

She acquired the reputation of being a multi-faceted actor equally comfortable in fantasy and mythological genres as well as in modern social dramas[67] and hence in 1969, in Tamil Conference, she was given the tag of "Kaveri Thandha Kalai Selvi".[68]

She, Savitri and Saroja Devi have been cited as the first female superstars of Tamil cinema. She did double roles in eight films.[69]

She received Special Award from Filmfare for her performances in 'Chandhrodhayam', 'Adimai Penn' and 'Engirundho Vandhaal' in the years 1966, 1969 and 1970 as the Filmfare Award for Best Actress was introduced only in 1972.[70] Her performance in Pattikada Pattanama, Suryagandhi were critically acclaimed and won her consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1972 and 1973, respectively.

From 1968 to 1973, at the peak of her career she took interviews and wrote columns in the magazines like Bommai. She wrote a column-"Ennangal Sila" in magazine Thuglak in the 1970s. She also wrote a short story, "Oravin Kaidhigal", for the magazine Kalki, "Manadhai Thotta Malargal" for Thaai magazine in the early 1980s.[71] She wrote about her own life in a serialised memoir in the Tamil weekly magazine Kumudam.[72]

In 1980, she decided to voluntarily decline any new film offers. An Australia-based journalist Brian Laul took over the mantle of Piousji ('Khaas Bhat'- The filmi gossip column) wrote an article specifying Jayalalithaa was trying for a comeback but was not being offered any roles. Jayalalithaa chose to respond to him by writing a letter, in which she mentioned that she was not struggling to make any comeback and that she turned down the offer from producer Balaji to star in Billa (1980) alongside Rajinikanth. She added she wanted to pursue other interests and was not interested in pursuing her film career any further.[73][74]

Her closest friends from film industry included Manorama,[75] Cho Ramaswamy,[76] Rajasree, Jamuna, Saroja Devi, Kumari Sachu, Anjali Devi, Sowcar Janaki, Sukumari,[77] Ravichandran, R. Muthuraman, Nagesh, M. N. Nambiar, Vennira Aadai Nirmala, S. A. Asokan, Jaishankar, V. K. Ramasamy, Major Sundarrajan, P. Susheela, Sheela, M. S. Viswanathan, L. R. Eswari, R.S.Manohar.[citation needed]

She quoted on M. G. Ramachandran, "He was a very warm and caring kind of a person. And after Mother died, he replaced her in my life. He was everything to me. He was mother, father, brother, friend, philosopher, guide. Everything. He sort of took over my life." In many of her interviews she often said she entered films on being asked by her mother and entered politics on request by M. G. Ramachandran.[78]

Political career edit

Early political career edit

 
Jayalalithaa at the public meeting in 1980s

Jayalalithaa denied claims that M.G.R., who had been chief minister for the state since 1977, was instrumental in introducing her to politics.[9] On 4 June 1982,[79] she joined the AIADMK, which was founded by M.G.R.[80] Her maiden public speech,"Pennin Perumai" (The Greatness of a Woman), was delivered at the AIADMK's political conference in the same year at Cuddalore[81] and was well received. Even the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Rajya Sabha member Khushwant Singh came to witness her speech which was widely acclaimed for its clarity of diction and elegant prose.[82] Her seat number in Rajya Sabha was 185, which was coincidentally the same as that of what C. N. Annadurai had while he was a member in the Rajya Sabha.[83] On 28 January 1983, she became propaganda secretary for the party succeeding R. Manimaran, who was an MLA and party's chief whip in the tamil nadu assembly and she campaigned extensively for the party candidate R. Amirtharaj in the by-election for the Tiruchendur Assembly constituency in February that year.[80][84][85]

Filmstar MPs

"This lovely lass has taken her place in the centre of India's political stage and, being a Hindi-speaking Tamilian, is assured of a central role for many years to come."

Khushwant Singh, Filmstar MPs, Sunday, 27 April 1985[86]

M.G.R. wanted her to be a member of the Rajya Sabha because of her fluency in English. She defeated Arcot N. Veeraswami, who is the senior DMK leader in 1984 Rajya Sabha elections.[87][88] Indira Gandhi lauded Jayalalithaa for the various speeches she made on issues including the one on internal security in Rajya Sabha.[89] Jayalalithaa was elected to that body in 1984 and retained her seat until 1989.[90] Jayalalithaa was one of the 16 special guests who were invited to participate the state dinner hosted by then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in honour of Erstwhile Yugoslavian President Veselin Djuranovic at Rashtrapati Bhavan.[91] Her success in her role as propaganda secretary caused resentment among high-ranking members of the party. By engineering a rift between her and M.G.R., these members influenced M.G.R. to stop her writing about her personal life in a Tamil magazine. Despite these machinations, she remained admired by the rank and file of the party.[9] She was given key responsibilities, including in the implementation of the landmark noon-meals scheme when M. G. Ramachandran was the chief minister and this taught her lessons in welfare politics. Under the instructions of MGR, She resigned as the Propaganda Secretary on 20 August 1984 to pacify the disgruntled leaders in the party.[92] Later when M.G.R. fell ill, she campaigned extensively for the party before the 1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election.[93]

 
Jayalalithaa at a meeting in Palani in 1984

In 1984, when M.G.R. was incapacitated due to a stroke, Jayalalithaa was said to have attempted to take over the position of chief minister or the party on the pretext that his health would prevent him from the proper execution of his duties.[94] She successfully led the campaign in the 1984 general elections, in which the AIADMK allied with the Congress.[90] On the midnight of 31 December 1984, When MGR was in United States, Jayalalithaa was unceremoniously turned out of Tamil Nadu House, which was her official residence as a Rajya Sabha M.P. by the coterie against her.[95] She was reappointed as the Propaganda Secretary of the party on 5 September 1985.[96] Following his death in 1987, the AIADMK split into two factions: one supported his widow, V. N. Janaki This faction was called AIADMK (JA) and the other favoured Jayalalithaa called AIADMK (J). Jayalalithaa faction was supported by senior leaders like V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, Panruti S. Ramachandran, Aranganayagam, KKSSR Ramachandran, Thirunavukarasar. On 1 January 1988, Jayalalithaa was elected as the general secretary of AIADMK by the leaders of her faction and It was ratified by the party general council convened by her on the next day.[97][98] Janaki was selected as the Chief Minister on 7 January 1988 with the support of 96 members; due in part to irregularities by speaker P. H. Pandian, who dismissed six members to ease her victory, she won a motion of confidence in the house. However, Rajiv Gandhi used Article 356 of the Constitution of India to dismiss the Janaki-led government and impose president's rule on the state.[9][99][100]

At the age of 41, Jayalalithaa entered the Assembly successfully contesting the subsequent 1989 elections on the basis of being M.G.R.'s political heir.[101]

Leader of the Opposition, 1989 edit

She was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989 as a representative of the Bodinayakkanur constituency. This election saw the Jayalalithaa-led faction of the AIADMK win 27 seats and Jayalalithaa became the first woman to be elected Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. She is the first Indian actress and first woman to become an opposition leader in India. On 9 February 1989, the two factions of AIADMK merged and they unanimously accepted Jayalalithaa as the general secretary of the party and the "Two leaves" symbol of the party was restored.[39]

On 25 March 1989, as claimed by the party and a section of the members present in the assembly, amidst heavy violence inside the house among the ruling DMK party members and the opposition, Jayalalithaa was attacked by the ruling DMK members in front of the assembly speaker M. Tamilkudimagan when violence broke out between DMK and AIADMK MLA's after she called Karunanidhi a criminal and when he named and shamed her. Karunanidhi fell on the floor when one of her MLAs rushed towards him. Both Karunanidhi and Jayalaithaa alleged of attacks against them.[102][103][104][105] Jayalalitha left the Assembly with her torn saree drawing a parallel with the shameful disrobing of Draupadi in the epic Mahabharata.[102][106][107] At the peak of the situation, Jayalalithaa was about to leave the house, she vowed to not enter the house "until as a Chief Minister".[108][109] In spite of some sections of media terming it as a theatrics, it received a lot of media coverage and sympathy from the public.[110][111][112] During the 1989 general elections, the AIADMK allied with the Congress party and was handed a significant victory by winning 38 out of 39 lok sabha seats in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK, under her leadership, also won the by-elections in Marungapuri, Madurai East and Peranamallur assembly constituencies.[90]

First term as Chief Minister, 1991 edit

In 1991, following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi days before the elections, her alliance with the Indian National Congress enabled her to ride the wave of sympathy that gave the coalition victory.[113][114] The AIADMK alliance with the Congress won 225 out of the 234 seats contested and won all 39 constituencies in the centre.[90] Re-elected to the assembly, she became the state's youngest chief minister, and the first woman to serve a full term, serving from 24 June 1991 to 12 May 1996.[90][100] In 1992, her government introduced the "Cradle Baby Scheme". At that time the ratio of male to female in some parts of Tamil Nadu was skewed by the practice of female infanticide and the abortion of female foetuses. The government established centres in some areas, these being equipped to receive and place into adoption unwanted female babies. The scheme was extended in 2011.[115] Her party had 226 elected members to the assembly. Her government was the first to introduce police stations operated solely by women. She introduced 30% quota for women in all police jobs and established as many as 57 all-women police stations. There were other all-women establishments like libraries, stores, banks and co-operative elections.[116] She began to be referred as Thanga Gopuram, Thanga Silai ('Golden Statue') by her followers.[117]

In July 1993, she observed fast for 80 hours (four days) near the MGR Memorial on the Marina beach, demanding that Karnataka release Kaveri water for the kuruvai crop. She ended her fast only after Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao sent his Cabinet colleague and Union Water Resources Minister V.C. Shukla to Chennai to assure her that the centre would set up two committees to ensure implementation of the 1991-interim award of the Tribunal.[118][119]

Reservations edit

In 1992, The Supreme Court Verdict which ruled that the overall amount of reservations allowed should not exceed 50% as per Article 16(4) endangered the 69 Percent Reservation in Tamil Nadu.[120]

In 1993, the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes Bill, 1993 was passed by the Assembly (Act 45 of 1994).[121] The Bill was sent to the President Shankar Dayal Sharma for his approval. J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK government led a cross-party committee of Tamil Nadu politicians to Delhi to meet with the Prime Minister Narasimha Rao led Central government and stepped up pressure on the centre to bring in a Constitutional amendment to include the Tamil Nadu Act in the Ninth Schedule, ensuring that its validity cannot be challenged in any court. By the end of August 1994, the Act became a part of the Ninth Schedule by the presidential accent, confirming "the 69 percent reservation" exclusive for Tamil Nadu.[122] The development fetched her the title of "Samooga Neethi Kaatha Veeranganai" (The leader who upheld Social justice) by K. Veeramani, General Secretary of Dravidar Kazhagam.[123][124]

On 20 January 1994, Mother Teresa Called on Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at her poes garden residence in chennai and lauded her welfare projects for girls, destitute women and the aged. Mother Teresa reportedly said that she and Jayalalithaa, India's then only female chief minister, were "working for and fulfilling the same noble cause". Mother Teresa said she would pray daily for Jayalalithaa, whose projects included the Cradle Baby Scheme (CBS)[125] Mother Teresa was also present at the State function on the International Women's Day On 9 March 1994 at Madras which Jayalalithaa later recalled as "memorable event in my life".[126]

She first invited Ford Motor Company to establish business in Tamil Nadu in 1995. This was followed by numerous companies setting up factories here especially from automobiles sector which included Hyundai Motor, BMW, Daimler, Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Wright and Yamaha. Due to this, Madras (now Chennai) began to be called as the Detroit of India under her first term.[127] Royal Enfield made significant expansion in Tamil Nadu and apart from Ashok Leyland, TAFE and TVS Motors became key players in Tamil Nadu.[128]

Loss of power, 1996 edit

The Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK lost power in the 1996 elections, when it won 4 of the 168 seats that they contested.[129] Jayalalithaa was herself defeated by the DMK candidate in Bargur constituency. The outcome has been attributed to an anti-incumbency sentiment and several allegations of corruption and malfeasance against her and her ministers.[114][129] The wedding event of her foster son Sudhakaran, who married a granddaughter of the Tamil film actor Shivaji Ganesan, was held on 7 September 1995 at Madras and was viewed on large screens by over 150,000 people. The event holds two Guinness World Records: one is for the most guests at a wedding and the other is for being the largest wedding banquet.[9][130][131] Subsequently, in November 2011, Jayalalithaa told a special court than the entire 60 million (equivalent to 360 million or US$4.5 million in 2023) expenses associated with the wedding were paid by the family of the bride.[132]

Though Sudhakaran was adopted by Jayalalithaa as her foster son in 1995, when she became aware that Sudhakaran began to interfere in her financial affairs and that he took money without intending to repay, she disowned him in 1996 within one year of adoption.[133]

There were several corruption cases filed against her by the ruling DMK government headed by Karunanidhi. Jayalalithaa was arrested on 7 December 1996 and was remanded to 30-day judicial custody in connection with the Colour TV scam, which charged her with receiving kickbacks to the tune of 101.3 million (equivalent to 600 million or US$7.6 million in 2023). The investigation alleged that the amount through the TV dealers were routed in the form of cheques to a relative of Sasikala, who had quoted Jayalalithaa's residence as hers. She earlier filed an anticipatory bail in the trial court, which was rejected on 7 December 1996.[134] She was acquitted in the case on 30 May 2000 by the trial court and the High Court upheld the order of the lower court.[135][136]

When questioned on her views on Sasikala, Jayalalithaa quoted in 1996 "Sasikala never functioned as extra constitutional power centre. Calling her de facto chief minister is nonsense. She is not interested in politics and I have no intention to bring her into politics." It annoyed her when people said Sasikala was behind many of her political decisions and termed such news as rubbish and insult to her position as chief minister.[137]

In 1998, AIADMK Silver Jubilee Conference was held at Tirunelveli by AIADMK General Jayalalithaa from 1 to 3 January. Several Alliance party leaders such as L. K. Advani, Vaiko, S. Ramadoss, Vazhappady K. Ramamurthy and Subramanian Swamy participated it ahead of Lok Sabha election that year.[138][139][140] Her fortunes revived in the 1998 general election, as the AIADMK became a key component of then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 1998–99 government; her withdrawal of support toppled it and triggered another general election just a year later. During 1999 parliament general election, Jayalalithaa formed the alliance consisting of parties like Congress, CPI, CPI(M), INL and managed to win 13 lok sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and a lone seat in puducherry with the AIADMK winning 10 seats in Tamil Nadu.[141][142]

She was also convicted in Pleasant Stay hotel case on 3 February 2000 by a trial court to one-year imprisonment.

Second term as Chief Minister, 2001 edit

Jayalalithaa strengthened the AIADMK led Secular Democratic Progressive Alliance consisting Congress, Left parties by bringing in parties like Moopanar's TMC, PMK, IUML and other smaller parties for 2001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election.[143] Jayalalithaa was barred from standing as a candidate in the 2001 elections because she was found guilty of criminal offences, including allegedly obtaining property belonging to a state-operated agency called TANSI. Although she appealed to the Supreme Court of India, having been sentenced to five years' imprisonment, the matter was not resolved at the time of the elections.[144] But she nominationed for contest in Andipatti, Krishnagiri, Bhuvanagiri and Pudukottai constituencies. All were rejected as she had been disqualified from contesting the polls at that time following conviction in the TANSI land deal case, Pleasant stay hotel case and Since one cannot file nomination for more than two constituencies.[145] The AIADMK Alliance won the landslide victory of 196 seats in the 234-membered assembly. The AIADMK returned to power in 2001 by winning majority and she took oath as Chief Minister as a non-elected member of the state assembly on 14 May 2001.[100]

Noted for its ruthlessness to political opponents, many of whom were arrested in midnight raids, her government grew unpopular. Her appointment was legally voided in September 2001 when the Supreme Court ruled that she could not hold it whilst convicted of criminal acts.[144] O. Panneerselvam, a minister in her party, was subsequently installed as the Chief Minister. However, his government was purported to have been puppeted and micro-managed by Jayalalithaa.[100][146]

Jayalalithaa was acquitted in both the TANSI and Pleasant Stay Hotel cases on 4 December 2001 and the Supreme Court upheld the order of the High Court on 24 November 2003.[147][148]

Third term as Chief Minister, 2002 edit

Upon her acquittal, She contested a bye-poll to the Andipatti constituency, after the sitting MLA Thanga Tamil Selvan resigned for the seat, gave up his membership, which she won by a handsome margin in February 2002. Subsequently, On 2 March 2002, Jayalalithaa returned as Chief Minister once more to complete her term, having been acquitted of some charges by the Madras High Court.[149]

 
Jayalalithaa with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

India's first company of female police commandos was set up in Tamil Nadu in 2003. They underwent the same training as their male counterparts, covering the handling of weapons, detection and disposal of bombs, driving, horseriding, and adventure sports.[150] The government led by her in 2003 banned sale of all lotteries, including online, within the territory of the state, despite the risk of the state losing revenue. She gave orders to a special task force headed by K. Vijaykumar[151] to conduct a secret operation to capture and kill the bandit Veerappan by entering Karnataka.[152] In 2004 she declared eliminating Veerappan as biggest achievement of her government and quoted ""My only brief to them was capture Veerappan dead or alive. After that I never interfered. I left them to work out their own strategies and this paid off."[153] She began to be referred as 'People's CM' (Makallin Mudhalvar) and Iron Lady of India by end of this term.[154] In this term she launched a rainwater harvesting scheme in 2001 to rejuvenate water sources and this improved ground water levels in the parched southern state and this idea was replicated by various states and even by the centre. She also started the Veeranam project to deliver water to the dry metropolis of Chennai.[155] Doctor Manmohan Singh frequently praised Jayalalithaa for her administrative skills, mid-day meal schemes and efforts for gender empowerment.[156]

Her administrative abilities were notable in her handling of events following the tsunami that hit Tamil Nadu on 26 December 2004. Jayalalithaa announced a Rs 153.37 crore relief package, divided into a general package and a separate one for fishermen. She announced that affected families would get Rs 1 lakh as compensation for every member lost, along with one dhoti, one sari, two bedsheets, 60 kg of rice, three litres of kerosene, and Rs 1,000 in cash for groceries and that furthermore, Rs 1,000 was to be given for purchase of utensils, Rs 2,000 so they could put up accommodation. Per family, and there were about one lakh families in all, the package would cost about Rs 5,000. The fishermen also received an extra Rs 65 crore meant to cover gill nets and boats. It was only a matter of hours before Nagapattinam had its power supply back. With the state working on disaster management for over seven years, response time had been reduced significantly; mobile cranes and ambulances were on patrol. The government entrusted district administration with rehabilitation of affected families, and when they were found to be incompetent, she reshuffled or sacked officers immediately. Jayalalithaa even extended help to the Sri Lankan government by instating officers to guide the island nation in the process of rehabilitation. Her administrative style was uncompromising, whether it was banning the sale of gutkha, or mandatory installation of rainwater harvesting systems, but, she got things done on time without any ifs or buts, as was seen with the tsunami relief, ensuring people remembered not the ruthlessness of her tenure, but the help it gave them.[157][158]

On 11 May 2006, Jayalalithaa resigned as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu following her party's defeat in the assembly elections.[159][160]

Leader of the Opposition, 2006 edit

 
Jayalalithaa with the leaders of CPI(M) Party

AIADMK fared poorly in May 2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, with her party winning just 61 seats out of total 234 in the state elections in 2006. She won in Andipatti. Though her main opposition, DMK did not win a single party majority (96/234), DMK coalition had 162/234 seats and formed the cabinet until 2011 which she referred to as "Minority DMK government".[161][162]

On 29 May 2006, Jayalalithaa was unanimously elected as Leader of the Opposition by AIADMK MLAs replacing O. Panneerselvam soon after two days, she single-handedly took on the ruling DMK in the house in the wake of the suspension of all 60 AIADMK legislators for the entire session.[163][164] During 2009 parliament general election, The AIADMK-led alliance consisting of parties like PMK, CPI, CPI(M), MDMK managed to win 12 seats with the AIADMK winning 9 seats.

Sri Lankan Tamil Issue

In August 2008, Jayalalithaa moved the Supreme Court to nullify the Katchatheevu agreements of 1974 and 1976. She had raised the retrieval of the islet in her maiden Independence Day address in August 1991. In 1991, Jayalalithaa led Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a resolution demanding the retrieval of Katchatheevu. During the civil war and with northern borders under the control of the LTTE, the fishermen had easy access to the fishing grounds.[165]

Jayalalithaa undertook a day-long fast in March 2009, a couple of months before the Parliamentary elections demanding an immediate ceasefire. She accused then Chief Minister Karunanidhi led DMK government in the State and the UPA government at the Centre of "criminal neglect in failing to provide relief and succour to the Sri Lankan Tamils".[166]

In April 2009, LTTE Chief Prabhakaran thanked Jayalalithaa for voicing her support in favour of Tamil Eelam through a secret letter. It was later revealed by AIADMK MP Maitreyan.[167]

After she returned to power in May 2011, the Assembly had adopted several resolutions, seeking an international probe into the alleged war crimes and genocide in the final phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War. She also demanded an economic embargo on Sri Lanka. She expressed her opposition not only to the presence of Sri Lankan military personnel receiving training anywhere in India but also to that of Sri Lankan sportspersons.[166]

As for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in Tamil Nadu, she had changed her position. Originally, she justified the refugees taking shelter in the State "as long as the genocide continues" in the Sri Lanka. But, after the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, she had branded the refugee camps as "breeding grounds" for LTTE militants. However, she turned sympathetic again to the refugees in 2011. She not only enhanced allowance for them but also announced a special scheme for building "durable houses" for rehabilitation.[166]

Protest Rallies

In late 2010, Jayalalithaa as an opposition leader held three big rallies to protest against the price rise and policies of UPA Government at the Centre and DMK Government in the State. The public meetings took place at Coimbatore on 13 July, Trichy on 14 August and Madurai on 18 October. These rallies drew lakhs of people, were seen as the shows of strength by the AIADMK ahead of 2011 Assembly Election.[168][169][170][171]

Fourth term as Chief Minister, 2011 edit

Jayalalithaa was sworn in as chief minister for the fourth time after the AIADMK swept the 2011 assembly election in a landslide and stromed back to power. She won in Srirangam. Her government received attention for its extensive social-welfare agenda, which included several subsidised "Amma"-branded goods such as (Amma canteens, Amma bottled water, Amma salt, Amma medical shops, Amma cement and Amma baby care kit).

In April 2011, the AIADMK was part of a 13-party alliance that won 203 out of 234 Seats in the 14th state assembly elections. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the fourth time on 16 May 2011, having been elected unanimously as the leader of the AIADMK party subsequent to those elections.[172]

 
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Jayalalithaa at Chief Secretariat of Tamil Nadu

On 19 December 2011, Jayalalithaa expelled her long-time close friend V. K. Sasikala and 13 others from the AIADMK after she became aware that Sasikala and her family were working against her.[173] Most of the party members welcomed her decision.[174] The matter was resolved by 31 March when Sasikala was reinstated as a party member after issuing a written apology.[175] Sasikala in her written apology mentioned that she had no ambitions either in the party or in the government and wanted to serve Jayalalithaa and added that she became aware of misdeeds done by her family members when Jayalalithaa was in power. Only after Sasikala promised to be not in touch with her family members, Jayalalithaa allowed Sasikala back to her house.[176]

In this term, she announced the Pension Scheme for Destitute Transgender by which those above ages of 40 could get a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000. Her government ensured members of the transgender community could enrol for education and job.[177] Beginning from 2011, every year her government gave free laptops to students who clear tenth and twelfth standard to impart digital education to rural areas.[178] Her government in 2011 decided to give four goats and a cow to each family below poverty line – mixer and grinders and fans for households, 3 sets of free uniforms, school, bags, notebooks, geometry boxes for all children in government schools, and cycles and laptops for Class 11 and 12 students.[179] In 2011 she launched the marriage assistance scheme wherein the female students received 4 gram gold free for use as Thirumangalyam for their marriage and cash assistance up to Rs. 50,000 for undergraduate or diploma holding females.[180] There were rampant power cut issues between 2006 and 2011 while AIADMK was in opposition wherein for 10 to 15 hours there was no supply of electricity. However, after she regained power, between 2011 and 2015, her state government corrected all the discrepancies of previous DMK regime such that the Central Electricity Authority in 2016 said the state is expected to have 11,649 million units of surplus power.[181] Tamil Nadu became among the power surplus states while she was chief minister in this term.[182][183] In this term her government ensured the wrongfully usurped property by land grabbing during 2006 to 2011 in the previous DMK regime, had been retrieved and handed over to rightful owners between 2011 and 2015.[184]

 
Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari being received by Jayalalithaa at Chennai International Airport

She announced in 2012, the Vision 2023 document which embodied a strategic plan for infrastructure development which included raising the per capita income of residents to $10,000 per annum, matching Human Development Index to that of developed countries by 2023, providing high-quality infrastructure all over the State, making Tamil Nadu the knowledge capital and innovation hub of India. This project had three components – Overall Vision Document, Compilation of Project Profile and Road Map. The work on this continued under her supervision until her death.[185] She inaugurated 'Amma health insurance scheme' in 2012.[186]

Amma Branded Schemes edit

In February 2013, Jayalalithaa Government inaugurated the state-run Subsidised food programme called Amma Unavagam (Amma Canteen), which was later praised by economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen in his book An Uncertain Glory – India and its Contradictions and inspired by many states in India.[187][188][189][190] The Scheme was also lauded by Egypt in 2014.[191][192] Under the scheme, municipal corporations of the state-run canteens serving subsidised food at low prices.[193] which was followed by the plenty of populist schemes such as Amma Kudineer (bottled mineral water),[194] 'Amma' Salt,[195] 'Amma' Medical Shops,[196] and 'Amma' Cement.[197]

In 2015, she also launched 'Amma baby care kit' scheme where every mother who gave birth in the government hospital gets 16 types of products.[198][199]

Verdicts on Tamil Nadu water rows edit

Jayalalithaa had initiated a case in the Supreme Court to uphold the state's rights on Mullaperiyar Dam issue in 2006. As a result, In May 2014, Supreme court verdict allowed the Tamil Nadu State to increase the storage level in the Mullaperiyar Dam to 142 feet from 136 ft and struck down the unconstitutional law enacted by the Kerala Government in 2006 restricting the storage level to 136 ft.[200] This Supreme Court Verdict sustained the livelihood of the farmers and people in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.[201]

In February 2013, the Union Government notified the final award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on the directions of the Supreme Court. Then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa termed it as a "tremendous achievement" of her government after 22 long years of legal battle, the State had got Due justice.[119] Then Jayalalithaa said that it was the happiest day of her life and the happiest day for the farmers in Tamil Nadu, she recalled her famous fast-unto-death at Marina beach in 1993.[202][203][204]

Thevar Outreach edit

On 9 February 2014, The 13-kg gold armour was donated by then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa for adorning the 3.5-feet-tall statue of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar at Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district to woo Thevars, an influential OBC community in south Tamil Nadu. ahead of 2014 general election. Thevar Community is seen as the traditional vote bank of the AIADMK party in the southern tamil nadu since its inception.[205] The gold armour is estimated to be worth Rs 4 crore. The armour is kept in a nationalised bank locker in madurai. After AIADMK party treasurer and the trustee of the memorial signing in the bank, The Golden Armour would be taken out and handed over to the incharge of the memorial every year between 28 and 30 October observe Thevar Jayanthi.[206][207][208]

General Secretary of AIADMK edit

On 29 August 2014, Jayalalithaa was re-elected as the General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for the 7th Consecutive term, Making her the longest serving general secretary of the party till date. Earlier, She was elected in the years of 1988, 1989, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2014.[4]

Disproportionate assets case, 2014 edit

Movable Properties in Disproportionate Assets[209]
Particulars Numbers
Sarees 11,344
Decorated footwears 750
Shawls 250
Dressing tables 9
Wrist watches 91
Suitcases 131
Teapoys 34
Tables 31
Cots 24
Sofa Sets 20
Dressing Mirrors 31
Telephones/Intercoms 33
Wall Clocks 27
Fans 86
Decorated Chairs 146
Hanging Lights 81
Crystal Cut Glasses 215
Refrigerators 12
Television Sets 10
VCRs 8
Video Camera 1
CD Players 4
Audio Decks 2
Two-in-One Tape Recorders 24
Video Cassettes 1,040
Cash 193,202
 
Jayalalithaa's car Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Three years into her tenure, she was convicted in a disproportionate-assets case, rendering her disqualified to hold office.

On 27 September 2014, Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years in jail and fined 1 billion (equivalent to 1.6 billion or US$20 million in 2023) by the Special Court in Bengaluru. She was convicted in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case that was launched by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy (now a member of Bharatiya Janata Party) on 20 August 1996 on the basis of an Income Tax Department report on her. Jayalalithaa's close associate Sasikala, her niece Ilavarasi, her nephew and the chief minister's disowned foster son Sudhakaran were also convicted. They were sentenced to four years in jail and fined 100 million (equivalent to 160 million or US$2.0 million in 2023) each. Special Judge John Michael D'Cunha convicted her to owning assets to the tune of 666.5 million (equivalent to 3.6 billion or US$46 million in 2023) (which includes 2,000 acres (810 ha) of land, 30 kilograms (66 lb) of gold and 12,000 saris) disproportionate to her known sources of income during 1991–96 when she was chief minister for the first time. The verdict was delivered by a makeshift court in the Parappana Agrahara prison complex in the presence of Jayalalithaa and the other accused.

She was automatically disqualified from the post of chief minister and the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu, and thus became the first sitting Indian chief minister to be disqualified.[210] O. Panneerselvam, a minister in her party, succeeded her as the Chief Minister on 29 September 2014.[211] On 17 October 2014, the Supreme Court granted her two months' bail and suspended her sentence.[212] On 18 October 2014, Jayalalithaa returned to Chennai after spending 21 days in Bangalore jail. Despite heavy rain that day, AIADMK cadres assembled outside her residence and welcomed her.[213]

On 11 May 2015, a special Bench of the Karnataka High Court set aside her conviction on appeal. That court acquitted her and the alleged associates—Sasikala, her niece Ilavarasi, her nephew and Jayalalithaa's disowned foster son Sudhakaran.[214]

On 14 February 2017 (subsequent to her death) the Supreme Court of India over-ruled the Karnataka High Court. Sasikala and the other accused were convicted and sentenced to four years of imprisonment, as well as being fined 100 million each. The case against Jayalalithaa was abated because she had died and hence can't defend herself.[215]

Fifth term as Chief Minister, 2015 edit

 
Jayalalithaa welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi at her residence in 2015.

The acquittal allowed her once again to hold office and on 23 May 2015, Jayalalithaa was sworn in[216] as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time.[217] She was subsequently re-elected by the electorate of the Radhakrishnan Nagar of North Chennai in the by-election held on 27 June 2015. In a landslide victory, she polled more than 88 per cent votes of the 74.4 per cent turnout, winning by a margin of over 150,000 votes.[218]

In 2015, she introduced Amma Master Health checkup plan where in people could get various treatments done at a low fee in government hospitals and rolled out Amma Arogya plan wherein at primary health care centre in Tamil Nadu, certain tests can be done by public twice a week. This was done to help the sections of society who cannot afford the fares asked for by private hospital.[219] Later in February 2016 she started the free bus ride scheme for senior citizens above age of 60 wherein person could travel free of cost for 10 times a month.[220] Her government initiated Global Investors Summit in 2015 which saw over Rs 2.43 lakh crore worth of investments being committed to the state. Jayalalithaa's term, all of them together, saw some big-ticket investments in the state and over $20 billion FDI.[221] The department of industrial policy and promotion data disclosed that Tamil Nadu saw foreign direct investment inflows of $7.3 billion from April 2000 to March 2011; however, this went up to $13.94 billion from April 2011 to December 2015, under her government, which at as per conversion rate as of 2016 equals Rs 837.66 billion. Between April 2015 and December 2015, the State attracted $4.3 billion in FDI.[222]

In June 2015, Pakistani news channels Samaa TV and Geo News aired a news and applauded Jayalalithaa for her government's scheme which was introduced in 2013, of supplying free rice to mosques during Ramzan and suggested the scheme should be implemented in Pakistan too.[223][224][225] On 20 February 2016, Jayalalithaa led AIADMK Government passed the Tamil Nadu Municipal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2016, and the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Amendment) Act, 2016 in Tamil Nadu Assembly, enhancing the reservation for women from 33 per cent to 50 per cent in local bodies such as corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and village panchayats in the state.[226][227]

Sixth consecutive term as Chief Minister, 2016 edit

 
Jayalalithaa with former Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu in foundation stone laying ceremony

In the 2016 assembly election, she became the first Tamil Nadu chief minister since M.G.R. in 1984 to be voted back into power. That September, she fell severely ill and, following 75 days of hospitalisation, died on 5 December 2016 due to cardiac arrest.

BJP President Amit Shah accused the Jayalalithaa government of being the "most corrupt" in the country and asked the people to oust it in the 16 May Assembly elections.[228] On that Election, Jayalalithaa's Campaign Slogan was "I'm of the people, and I'm for the people." (மக்களால் நான், மக்களுக்காகவே நான்.)[229] Jayalalithaa was again elected as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in the May 2016 elections. She retained the Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency with a margin of 39,545 votes over her DMK rival.[230] She became the first leader in Tamil Nadu to serve consecutive terms as Chief Minister since the death of M.G.R. in 1987.[231] In her victory speech, she commented, "Even when 10 parties allied themselves against me, I did not have a coalition and I placed my faith in God and built an alliance with the people. It is clear that the people have faith in me and I have total faith in the people."[232]

Her government within 100 days of resuming power in May 2016, wrote off the outstanding crop loans given by cooperative banks to over 16.94 lakh farmers, gave free power to households to extent of first 100 units and gave free power to handloom weavers to extent of 200 units, gave 750 units of power to power loom weavers, implemented closure of 500 liquor shops and reduction of working hours of liquor outlets emergence of power surplus states. The establishment of first 1,000 MW nuclear power plant at Kudankulam is also regarded as one of her achievements.[233] She increased the freedom fighters monthly pension to Rs 12,000, family pension and increased special pension to Rs 6,000.[234] On 21 September 2016 she inaugurated two Chennai Metro rail lines by way of video conferencing.[235] This was her last public appearance before being admitted to hospital on 22 September 2016.[236]

Controversies edit

Personality cult edit

Followers of Jayalalithaa often worshiped her as a divine being. She stimulated a cult following, and adoring supporters often termed her "Adi Parashakti" (the eternal mighty goddess).[237] Several experts say that over the years the cult called 'Amma' has been carefully crafted. Others claim that the emotional outburst is just a spontaneous display of loyalist support. C Lakshmanan of the Madras Development Institute studies, who has studied personality cult in the politics of Tamil Nadu, said posters were installed around the state portraying Jayalalithaa as a goddess back then.[238] She was worshiped by the party cadre as "Amma" (Mother). She made sure the respect and loyalty of the functionaries of the party was there for everyone to see. The entire Cabinet would fall in line and bow in front of the helicopter in which it was flying. Members of the party, at all levels never found it difficult to prostrate before her in full view of the public.[239] Many of her worshipping followers are known to profess their loyalty through acts such as walking on hot coals or drawing her portrait with their blood.[240] S Kirubakaran who is a Journalist-turned-advocate, wrote a book on Jayalalitha titled, 'Ammavin Kathai,' said that when M.G.R. was a Chief Minister, he carefully chose MLAs and Ministers for the first time after going through their knowledge and experience. But Jayalalithaa had begun to assign those who praised her.[241] Even after her death, the AIADMK leaders continued to prostrate themselves before her burial ground.[242][243]

1999 Attempted murder case edit

A case of murder attempt was registered against Jayalalithaa, her close associate Sasikala, and Sasikala's nephew V Mahadevan has been recorded by the Chennai police on following a complaint by former Jayalalithaa's auditor, Rajasekaran, who alleged that he was summoned to the Poes Garden bungalow and violently assaulted by Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and Mahadevan with a stick and high-heeled shoes.[240][244] Rajasekaran also stated that he had been forced by Jayalalithaa and Sasikala to sign two letters and a promissory note in respect of ₹50 lakhs. Jayalalithaa, however, denied the charges in a statement.[245][246]

Corruption cases edit

1996 colour TV case edit

In the colour TV corruption case involving the purchase of TV sets to villagers, Jayalalithaa was charged and arrested. The TV sets were provided in the framework of a government education and entertainment plan for the village population. Officials said the TVs were purchased at inflated prices and claimed that some of the money paid for TV stations was returned as kickbacks to government officials.[247] Later, she was acquitted as the accusation against them were not proven beyond doubt.[248]

Detained in 1996, the media reported that 21.28 kg of gold jewels worth Rs 35 million, 10,500 saris, 91 designer watches, 750 pairs of shoes, 1,250 kg of silver objects worth 31.2 million, diamonds worth 20 million, a silver sword and 19 vehicles were among the priceless treasures found at her house.[249]

1995 Foster son and luxury wedding corruption edit

In 1995, Jayalalithaa's friend Sasikala's nephew Sudhakaran was engaged to the youngest daughter of Sivaji Ganesan. Jayalalithaa was a chief minister of state by this time. Jaya declared that Sudhakaran would be adopted as her foster son and said that she would be performing his marriage as his mother.[250][30]

The wedding occupied a 2-km long lighted baraat pathway, ten dining halls each accommodating 25,000 people, and a 75,000 square foot pandal. Tons of plywood, plaster of paris and paint were used to erect cut-outs of Jayalalitha, arches, several hundred papier-mache statues, elaborate facades of palaces and gateways. The VIP invitations included a silver plate enclosed in a container, a silk saree and a silk dhoti, each worth ₹20,000.[251] The marriage hosted more than 1,000 VIPs. More than 40,000 guests were granted accommodation in the hotel. A legion of elephants and chefs brought in from Kerala.[252] The incident, hailed as "the mother of all marriages". People's anger mounted against her as the crores were lavished at the wedding, and Jayalalithaa and Sasikala became symbols of corruption. She was accused of using government money to celebrate the grand marriage.[253] The marriage may have triggered the AIADMK to lose all 39 Lok Sabha seats in the 1996 general election.[254]

She was later sentenced for 4 years in jail in 2014 for corruption related to the marriage and the Disproportionate assets case.[255]

Jayalalithaa owns a Guinness Book of World Records for conducting the luxury wedding. The record shows that over 15,000 guests have been invited. The Income-Tax Dept estimated the cost of the wedding at ₹100 million.[256]

Jayalalithaa later disowned Sudhakaran as her foster son.[250]

1998 TANSI land deal case edit

The TANSI land deal case refers to the purchase of land by Jaya Publications, which included Jayalalithaa and her friend Sasikala, from the State Small Industry Company, Tansi, Guindy. Justice P Anbhazhagan delivered the judgment, and said that the evidence stated in the prosecution sheet, and that the sale deed of the prime land in Guindy had been carried out on 29 May 1992, in the unequivocal aim of cheating against the government. The Supreme Court disqualified her in September 2001, resulting in her stepping down and which made O. Panneerselvam as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The Madras High Court acquitted her and other 5 accused in the case of all the charges on 4 December 2001.[257][258]

Disproportionate assets case edit

Jayalalithaa was initially convicted of misusing her office during her tenure in 1991–1996. Subramanian Swamy was the main petitioner. Some of the accusations concerned expenditure on her foster son's luxurious marriage in 1996 and acquiring properties worth more than 666.5 million, as well as jewellery, bank deposits, investment and a convoy of luxury vehicles. The trial lasted for 18 years. Justice John Michael D'Cunha, in a detailed judgement, showed that the entire asset belonged to the accused and no one else.[259] On 11 May 2015, Jayalalithaa was acquitted of all charges by the High Court of Karnataka. On 14 February 2017, the Supreme Court of India overruled the High Court of Karnataka. Sasikala and the other accused were convicted and sentenced to four years in prison, as well as to a fine of ₹100 million each. The case proceedings against Jayalalithaa were abated and dismissed on account of her death.[260][261][262] The Supreme Court of India dismissed the review petition of Government of Karnataka on 5 April 2017 and the curative petition on 28 September 2018 to re-examine its decision to abate the proceedings against Jayalalithaa due to her death.[263][264]

2000 Pleasant Stay hotel case edit

Pleasant Stay hotel case is the construction of the seven-story hotel "Pleasant stay" in Kodaikanal, which was in breach of the rules for the construction of the seven-story building in a blue ville in the tourist resort town in Kodaikanal. Jayalalithaa, Selvaganapathy and Pandey granted a permission to create a seven-story structure at the hotel. The case was related to Jayalalithaa's supposed clearance by violating government rules to the development of a hotel in ecologically significant Kodaikanal. Jayalalithaa was sentenced in February 2000 to one year's strict imprisonment, with the penalty fined Rs. 1000 for conspiracy and criminal misconduct as a public employee. After the court's decision, AIADMK cadres started to riot and arson which burned alive three female students in the Dharmapuri bus burning and many were killed and injured.[265] The Supreme Court disqualified her in September 2001, resulting in her stepping down and which made O. Panneerselvam as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The Madras High Court acquitted her and other 5 accused in the case of all the charges on 4 December 2001.[266][267][268]

Illness, death and reactions edit

 
The then President Pranab Mukherjee paying tribute to Jayalalithaa in Rajaji Hall

On 22 September 2016, Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, as she was suffering from an infection and acute dehydration. Her official duties were handed over to her minister O. Panneerselvam on 12 October 2016, though she continued to remain as the chief minister of the state.[269] She was also said to be suffering from a severe pulmonary infection and septicaemia, which were cured. On 4 December 2016, she was re-admitted to the intensive care unit after suffering a cardiac arrest around 16:45 on the evening.[270] The hospital released a press statement stating that her condition was "very critical" and that she was on life support.[271] On 5 December 2016, the hospital announced her death around 23:30 and she became the first female chief minister to die in office in India.[272]

Government of India declared a one-day national mourning with the national flag in all government buildings flying at half-mast.[273][274] While a seven-day state mourning from 6 to 12 December 2016 was observed by Government of Tamil Nadu,[275] also three-day state mourning from 6 to 8 December 2016 were observed by Government of Kerala[276] and the Government of Puducherry.[277] One day state mourning on 6 December 2016 was observed by Government of Karnataka,[278]Government of Bihar,[279]Government of West Bengal,[280]Government of Punjab,[281]Government of Uttarakhand[274] and Government of Goa.[282] President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, Several State Chief Ministers, Political leaders and Film fraternity Condoled and paid last tributes on her demise.[283][284] Her body was kept in state at her residence Veda Nilayam in Poes Garden until the wee hours of 6 December 2016 and later at Rajaji Hall for public to pay their tribute. Her last rites were performed on the evening of 6 December 2016 and she was buried at the northern end of the Marina Beach in Chennai in a sandalwood casket engraved with "Puratchi Thalaivi Selvi J Jayalalithaa", near the grave of her mentor M. G. Ramachandran at the MGR Memorial.[285][286][287]

The US and several other countries sent condolences. American Ambassador Richard Verma,[288] Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui,[289] French Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler, Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal,[290] Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali,[291] Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Turkish Ambassador Burak Akçapar,[292] Turkmenistan Deputy Foreign Minister Berdyniyaz Matiyev,[293] Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Malaysian Indian Congress Party Mourned her death. Then Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak also sent his condolences.[294][non-primary source needed][295][296][297][298]

The News of Jayalalithaa's demise was covered by International Media.[299][300][301][302]

On 11 December 2016, the AIADMK said that over 470 party workers died, 'shocked' by Jayalalithaa's demise, and announced a solatium of Rs 300,000 to each of their families.[303]

In September 2017, C. Sreenivaasan of AIADMK courted controversy by saying that V. K. Sasikala's family was responsible for Jayalalithaa's death. Sreenivasan said that he had to lie about the late chief minister's death because of pressure.[304]

On 12 September 2017, Late J. Jayalalithaa was named the eternal general secretary of AIADMK at the AIADMK general council .[305] On 11 July 2022, The AIADMK general council reversed its previous decision and brought back the general secretary post to elect Edappadi K. Palaniswami as party head.[306]

The Memorial of Jayalalithaa edit

 
Jayalalithaa's burial site and memorial

The government of Tamil Nadu led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami issued Tamil Nadu Puratchi Thalaivi Dr J Jayalalithaa Memorial Foundation Ordinance, 2020 to acquire the Poes Garden residence in Chennai, which formerly belonged to the late Chief Minister J Jayalalitha. The ordinance faced opposition from the legal heirs of Jayalalithaa – Deepa (niece) and Deepak (nephew). A comprehensive list of all movable and immovable assets acquired in the process has been made available to the public. The immovable assets include "4.37kg of gold, 601.42kg of silver, 162 silverware, 11 TVs, 10 refrigerators, 38 ACs, 556 pieces of furniture, 6514 kitchen utensils, 12 kitchen accessories and racks, 1055 cutlery items, 15 pooja utensils, 10,438 pieces of personal-wear, 29 telephones including cellphones, 221 kitchen appliances, 251 electrical accessories, 8,376 books, 394 mementos, 653 documents, 253 stationery items, 1,712 furnishing accessories, 65 suitcases, 108 cosmetic items, 6 clocks, a photocopy machine, a printer and 959 miscellaneous items."[307][308]

A memorial was built for her at a cost of ₹500 million rupees. The Jayalalithaa Memorial or the Amma Memorial is shaped like a phoenix. The Construction Works of Jayalalithaa's marina memorial started on 7 May 2018.[309] On 27 January 2021, The memorial of Jayalalithaa was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.[310][311]

In a case challenging the Ordinance, the Madras High Court in May 2021 ruled J. Deepak and J. Deepa as legal heirs entitled to all the properties of Jayalalithaa in absence of a will. The court also issued a cautionary statement regarding the conversion of Jayalalithaa's residence into a memorial. The court has expressed concern that such a move may set a precedent for other political parties in the state to use public funds for the conversion of their leaders' residences into memorials.[312]

Death Probe by Justice Arumugaswamy commission edit

Among the Public, Jayalalithaa's 75-day hospitalisation and her demise, remained unclear and shrouded in secrecy. DMK and other opposition parties sought a probe into her death.[313][314][315]

Timeline edit

  • 17 August 2017 – The one-man Commission by retired Justice was announced by then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.[316]
  • 25 September 2017 – Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission was formally constituted by then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to investigate the death of J Jayalalithaa.
  • 22 November 2017 – The Commission commenced its hearing.[317]
  • 26 April 2019 – The Supreme Court of India stayed the functions of the commission based on the plea of the hospital in .[318] The commission had probed with hundreds of people including expert doctors, medical staff, ministers and then state health secretary of Tamil Nadu. London-based doctor Dr. Richard Beale was also summoned in front of the Commission in 2019 since he was closely involved with the selection of treatment provided to then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.[319][320]
  • 23 July 2021 – The 11th extension granted for the commission to submit its report was extended by the state government.[321]
  • 27 July 2021 – The Newly Elected DMK led Tamil Nadu Government sought permission from the Supreme Court to restart the inquiry into her death, as the inquiry into the mystery surrounding Jayalalithaa's death was one of the poll promises made by DMK in 2021 State Assembly Election.[318]
  • 30 November 2021 – The Supreme Court passed orders to allow setting up a medical board of AIIMS doctors to help the Justice A. Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry in gathering facts and examining witnesses in the case.[322]
  • 7 March 2022 – The Commission resumed its hearing as the supreme court vacated the previous stay order.[317]
  • 26 April 2022 – The Commission completed its hearing nearly after 5 years.[323][324] The Commission probed more than 150 witnesses including former chief minister O. Panneerselvam, V. K. Sasikala, Elavarasi, Several IAS and IPS officers.[317]
  • 3 August 2022 – The final tenure extension was granted for the commission to submit its report by the state government. This was the 14th extension since its formation.[325][326]
  • 4 August 2022 – The AIIMS panel gave clean chit to Apollo Hospitals and found no errors in the Jayalalithaa treatment.[327]
  • 27 August 2022 – The Justice Arumughaswamy Commission finally submitted the 600-page report to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. K. Stalin after 5 years of its formation.[328][329]
  • 18 October 2022 – The State Government tabled the Commission report in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. It raised doubts over the medical treatment given to former chief minister Jayalalithaa, It has recommended further probe against her aide V. K. Sasikala, the then health minister C. Vijayabaskar, Dr. K. S. Sivakumar, of Apollo Hospitals, Dr J. Radhakrishnan, former health secretary, former chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao, among others, for what it called as "lapses". The report also revealed that multiple people questioned during the probe said Jayalalithaa died on 4 December 2016, between 3 pm and 3:50 pm and not on 5 December 2016 as declared.[330][331] It claimed that US doctor Samin Sharma had convinced the late CM Jayalalithaa to agree for an angio. It also questioned why she was not taken abroad for treatment even though Dr. Richard Beale was prepared to take the then Chief Minister.[332][333]

In popular culture edit

In Mani Ratnam's political drama Iruvar (1997), the character of Kalpana portrayed by Aishwarya Rai, was inspired by Jayalalithaa and her professional and personal relationship with M. G. Ramachandran.[334][335][336] In 2008 Dasavathaaram Movie, Uses She seeing flooding areas from helicopter. In Attahasa Movie, sources in July 2011 reported that Priyamani and Jayachitra were signed on to portray Muthulakshmi and the role of Chief Minister Jayalalitha, respectively[citation needed] Priyamani denied being part of the project, adding that she was not offered the role. Faisal Saif completed work on major portions of a film titled Amma between 2014 and 2016, but was forced to shelve it following threats from members of Jayalalithaa's political party. The makers denied that the film was a biopic, but stated that actress Ragini Dwivedi portrayed a role resembling the politician.[337][338]

Since Jayalalithaa's death, several filmmakers have announced biopics on the politician, with six currently in production. In January 2017, Telugu filmmaker Dasari Narayana Rao registered the title Amma and began preparing for a biopic on the politician. The film was being planned with Anushka Shetty in the lead role, but Rao's death in May 2017 effectively ended the project, despite indications that Mohan Babu may revive it.[339][340] Producer Adithya Bharadwaj announced that his team were over a year into pre-production work for a proposed biopic of Jayalalithaa, during December 2017. Titled Thaai: Puratchi Thalaivi, he revealed that it would predominantly be a fictionalised retelling of her story with some real life footage also included. Bharadwaj suggested that he had briefly touched upon the possibility of a biopic with Jayalalithaa when she was alive, but the script had to be reworked following her death. Despite his suggestions that the film would begin production in January 2018, the project did not take off.[341][342] Soon after news emerged about Vijay's and Priyadarshini's biopics in August 2018, Adithya reconfirmed that Bharathiraja had been signed to be the director of the film. He added that the team were considering either Aishwarya Rai or Anushka Shetty for the role of Jayalalithaa, and either Kamal Haasan or Mohanlal for the role of M. G. Ramachandran.[343]

In August 2018, producer Vishnu Vardhan Induri of Vibri Media announced that he was working on a biopic of Jayalalithaa, and that A. L. Vijay would direct the project.[344] The team announced that pre-production work and research was ongoing and that the film would focus on the personal life of the politician, showing her vulnerable side. Actress Vidya Balan was initially approached by Vijay to star in the lead role, while Sai Pallavi was considered for the supporting role of V. K. Sasikala. Titled Thalaivii (2021), the film began its shoot after a long pre-production phase in November 2019 with Kangana Ranaut signed to play the lead role.[345][346][347] The Movie Thalaivii was released on 10 September 2021.[348] Within a day of Induri's announcement of making a film, director Priyadarshini announced that she had also been working for four months on the pre-production of a biopic, which would be launched in September 2018. Priyadarshini suggested that she had four scripts ready, with each focusing on different aspects of Jayalalithaa's life, and that the narration would be balanced by showing both her positive and negative sides.[349][347] Titled The Iron Lady, Nithya Menen was signed on to play the lead role, while Aishwarya Rajesh and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar were in talks for a supporting role for the character of Sasikala.[350][351][352]

On 14 December 2019, Another biopic named Queen has been released as a web-series by Gautham Vasudev Menon became the fourth such announcement of a related project in August 2018.[353] Production on the series progressed quietly throughout late 2018, with Ramya Krishnan selected to play Jayalalithaa, and Indrajith and Vamsi Krishna portraying M. G. Ramchandran and Sobhan Babu respectively.[354][355] In October 2018, Sasikala's nephew Jeyanandh Dhivakaran announced a further biopic on Jayalalithaa, which would focus more on her relationship with Sasikala and M. Natarajan. Director Linguswamy was signed on to the project, and began pre-production work by meeting close aides and politicians of Jayalalithaa.[356] In April 2019, director Jegadeswara Reddy announced that he was set to make a film titled Sasilalithaa, which would showcase the relationship between Jayalalithaa and Sasikala. A first look poster was launched, with Reddy announcing that he would enter talks with Kajol and Amala Paul to play the lead roles.[357]

In Ponniyin Selvan: I, director Mani Ratnam reportedly drew inspiration from Jayalalithaa for his depiction of the character Kundavai, portrayed by Trisha. [358]

Jayalalithaa also appeared in an episode of Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, an informal chat-show hosted by Indian actress Simi Garewal, where she talked about her personal life and acting/political career.[359]

Elections contested and positions held edit

Tamil Nadu Legislative elections edit

Election Constituency Party Result Vote % Opposition Candidate Opposition Party Opposition vote %
1989 Bodinayakkanur AIADMK Won 54.41 Muthu Manoharan DMK 27.27
1991 Bargur AIADMK Won 65.18 T. Rajendar TMK 29.34
Kaangayam AIADMK Won 63.44 N. S. Rajkumar Manraadiar DMK 32.85
1996 Bargur AIADMK Lost 43.54 E. G. Sugavanam DMK 50.71
2002 by-election Aandippatti AIADMK Won 58.22 Vaigai Sekar DMK 27.64
2006 Aandippatti AIADMK Won 55.04 Seeman DMK 36.29
2011 Thiruvarangam AIADMK Won 58.99 N. Anand DMK 35.55
2015 by-election Radhakrishnan Nagar AIADMK Won 88.43 C. Mahendran CPI 5.35
2016 Radhakrishnan Nagar AIADMK Won 55.87 Shimla Muthuchozhan DMK 33.14

Posts in Parliament of India edit

Year Position From To Constituency
1984 Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha 3 April 1984 28 January 1989 Tamil Nadu

Posts in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly edit

Year Constituency Position From To
1989 Bodinayakkanur Leader of the Opposition 9 February 1989 30 November 1989
1989 Bodinayakkanur Member of Legislative Assembly 1 December 1989 30 January 1991
1991 Bargur Chief Minister 24 June 1991 12 May 1996
2001 Not Contested Chief Minister 14 May 2001 21 September 2001
2002 Aandippatti Chief Minister 2 March 2002 12 May 2006
2006 Aandippatti Member of Legislative Assembly 19 May 2006 28 May 2006
2006 Aandippatti Leader of the Opposition 29 May 2006 14 May 2011
2011 Thiruvarangam Chief Minister 16 May 2011 27 September 2014
2015 Radhakrishnan Nagar Chief Minister 23 May 2015 22 May 2016
2016 Radhakrishnan Nagar Chief Minister 23 May 2016 5 December 2016

Awards and honours edit

Works edit

Jayalalithaa wrote 4 full-fledged novels, columns for Bommai, Thuglak in the 1970s, short stories for Kalki, Thai in the 1980s. She had an insatiable desire in her mind to write her autobiography, but it was not fulfilled until the last.[366][367][368][369][370][371]

Novels and series edit

  • Uravin Kaidigal (Prisoners of a relationship) – The Tamil version of an English novel which she wrote for Eve's Weekly, a woman's magazine published from Mumbai. Kalki Rajendran had made a fervent appeal to Jayalalithaa to write the same in Tamil. Then It was published as a serial in Kalki in 1980 and attracted both strong criticism and praise.[368][366][370][367][369][371]
  • Oruthikhey Sondham (Belong to one) – Jayalalithaa's First Tamil 95-paged Novel Published in June 1980 by Kumudam's monthly, Malai Mathi Magazine.[367][366][368][369][370]
  • Nenjile Oru Kanal (A fire in my heart) – Written in Kumudam Weekly Magazine, which she said was partly autobiographical.[367][366][368][369][370]
  • Ennangal Sila (Some of the thoughts) – Published as Series in Thuglak Weekly Magazine for nearly 7 years, which was written anonymously by Jayalalithaa, Eventually Her identity was disclosed by the editor Cho Ramaswamy.[367][366][368][369][370]
  • Nee indri Nanillai (I am not without you) – Novel Published in Valampuri John's Kavithabanu Publications.[367][366][368][369][370]

Books edit

  • Manadhai Thotta Malargal (Flowers that touch the mind) – The Collective version of 45 Columns written as Enakku Pidithavai in Thai weekly magazine.[370] In this book, she wrote about her favourites (Place, Flower, Animal, Song, writer, journalist, Philosophist, teacher, Painter Leonardo da Vinci, Novel David Copperfield)[367][366][368][369][370]

Short stories and columns edit

Jayalalithaa also carved many Short stories and Columns in Tamil and English. She had written an anonymous critic article in 'Thuglak' magazine which focused on the harassment of a woman under the police custody somewhere in North India.[367][366][368][369][370] In 'Thuglak' magazine, She wrote about Tamil Nadu Politics, National Politics and International Affairs. She also focused on writing about Negligence of Indian doctors, Italian law for pregnant women and The possibility of astrology. In 'Bommai' magazine, She also wrote about beauty tips.[372]

Other interests edit

Leisure Interests edit

Jayalalithaa is also interested in reading,[373] classical music, Western music, piano, swimming, cricket, tennis, basketball, chess, athletics and horse-riding.[370][84] She admired actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Dilip Kumar and Shammi Kapoor.[374] As a school girl, she had a huge crush on former Indian skipper Nari Contractor. In an interview with Simi Garewal in the 1990s, Jayalalitha had revealed her fondness for the cricketer and she had followed his game closely during the 1960s. In Kumudam Magazine, she had written that she used to watch Test matches. When she found difficult in booking last-minute tickets for special enclosure, she decided to become the Member of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association through which she could receive tickets automatically for all Test matches and Ranji Trophy. On her request, then famous cricket commentator and the general manager of Das prakash Group of Hotels P. Ananda Rao who had influence on TNCA, represented her case on his board meeting. Hence, Jayalalithaa became the first independent and patron women member of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association in the period of 1973–74.[375]

Favourite Books edit

In an interview, Jayalalithaa said that when she was just eight years old, she used to read Rajaji's Mahabharata (Vyasar Virundhu) and Ramayana (Chakravarthi Thirumagan). Being a child, she was very fond of Hans Christian Andersen, Grimms and Enid Blyton's the Malory Towers series. In later years, She read the novel works of Denise Robins, Barbara Cartland, Mills and Boon. Her favourite authors were Charles Dickens, William Wordsworth, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Sidney Sheldon, Georgette Heyer, Danielle Steel, Pearl S. Buck, James Hadley Chase and Somerset Maugham.[372][376][377]

She also read Shakespeare's plays, Danielle Steel's Malice,[378] Jung Chang's Wild Swans, Jean Plaidy's series on the Tudor dynasty, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, John Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, Wayne Dyer's Wishes Fulfilled, Li Zhisui's The Private Life of Chairman Mao,[379] Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. She liked books on history, geography, science, philosophy, religion, fiction, medicine and law. She had a great interest in reading about Anglo-Saxon dynasties.[376][377][374]

Jayalalithaa on the chat show – 'Rendezvous with Simi Garewal'

" Yes indeed (I had crushes). I remember having a great crush on Nari Contractor, the cricketer. I used to go to Test matches just to watch him. And I had another crush on Shammi Kapoor (laughed heartily). One of my favourite films even today is Junglee (1961) and the Yahoo! song."

— Jayalalithaa, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, April 1999[380]

Notes edit

  1. ^ From 17 December 1988 to 9 February 1989, Election Commission of India freezed AIADMK's name, so Jayalalithaa served general secretary of AIADMK (J) Faction that time.[1]
  2. ^ In 2001 Jayalalitha appended an additional letter "a" to her name for numerological reasons.[2][3]

See also edit

Further reading edit

  • Vassanthi (2016). Amma: Jayalalithaa's Journey From Movie Star To Political Queen. Juggernaut. ISBN 978-8193284148.
  • Vassanthi (2008). Cut-outs, Caste and Cines Stars. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-306312-4.
  • Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2007). Historical dictionary of the Tamils. United States: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-470-82958-5.
  • Swaminathan, Roopa (2002). M.G. Ramachandran: Jewel of the Masses. Rupa Publications. p. 1986. ISBN 9788171678976.
  • Velayutham, Selvaraj (2008). Tamil Cinema: The Cultural Politics of India's Other Film Industry. Routledge. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-415-39680-6.
  • Vanitha, Rose (2005). Love's Rite. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-400059-3.
  • Das, Sumita (2005). Refugee Management: Sri Lankan Refugees in Tamil Nadu, 1983–2000. Mittal publications. ISBN 9788183240666.
  • Jagmohan (2007). My Frozen Turbulence In Kashmir. Allied Publishers. ISBN 9788181242174.
  • Sen Sri Raman, Papri (2017). Jayalalithaa: A Journey. Delhi: Vitasta Publishing. ISBN 978-9382711865.

References edit

  1. ^ "Fight over symbol: A 'leaf' from history". the hindu. 23 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  2. ^ Shashi Tharoor (23 December 2001). "'Scrabble' in real life". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 March 2002. Retrieved 23 December 2001.
  3. ^ Mittal, Tusha. "Chasing The Poll Stars". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2016.. May 2009.
  4. ^ a b "அதிமுக பொதுச் செயலாளராக மீண்டும் ஜெ.: 7-வது முறை போட்டியின்றி தேர்வாகிறார்; ஆகஸ்ட் 29-ல் தேர்தல்". hindutamil (in Tamil). 19 August 2014.
  5. ^ "PURATCHI THALAIVI JAYALALITHAA". The Times of India. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Jayalalithaa death: Telugu stars mourn Amma's loss!". Zee News. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  7. ^ "How a leader's companion rose in political power in Tamil Nadu". South China Morning Post. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Jayalalithaa's niece and nephew declared legal heirs, can claim her properties". The News Minute. 27 May 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Srinivasaraju, Sugata (21 March 2011). "The Road To Ammahood". Outlook India. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Jayalalithaa Jayaram Biography – About family, political life, awards won, history". Elections in India. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Why was Iyengar Brahmin J Jayalalithaa buried instead of being cremated". DNA India. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  12. ^ IANS (7 May 2006). "In school her name was Komalavalli". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  13. ^ Babu, T. E. Narasimhan & Gireesh (6 December 2016). "Jayalalithaa dead at 68: How Komalavalli became the 'Iron Lady' of Tamil Nadu". Business Standard India. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d Chandrakanth, W (6 December 2016). "A never-say-die leader". The Hans India. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  15. ^ Babu, Venkatesha (6 December 2016). "Ammu to Amma: The life and times of Jayalalithaa Jayaraman". Business Today. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  16. ^ B. V. Shiva Shankar (23 June 2017). "'Jayalalithaa's influence is only stronger after her death'". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Profile". Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  18. ^ Raman, A. S. (September 2001). "The Iron Lady of India". The Contemporary Review. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  19. ^ "Stella Maris remembers former CM". The Hindu. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  20. ^ "So Singh, what do you make of my campaign, Jaya asked our reporter". R Bhagwan Singh. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Veda Nilayam set to become Jayalalithaa memorial". The Hindu. 7 May 2020.
  22. ^ "Jayalalithaa's assets double – the secret seems to be real estate". thenewsminute. 6 June 2015.
  23. ^ "Tamil Nadu: Who's residence is it anyway? Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden lies unoccupied". Hindustan Times. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Is Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence under attachment by IT department?". The Week. 27 January 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  25. ^ "JAYA, MY AUNT Inheritance of loss". The Week. 18 December 2016.
  26. ^ "I am Jayalalithaa's legal heir and I am ready to fight: Deepa Jayakumar to TNM". The News Minute. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  27. ^ "Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar aims to make things tricky for Sasikala". Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  28. ^ Jesudasan, Dennis S. (9 January 2017). "Crowd continues to swell at Deepa's house". The Hindu.
  29. ^ Ghoshal, Somak. "Jayalalithaa's Niece Deepa Jayakumar Challenges Sasikala To Claim Her Aunt's Legacy". HuffPost. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  30. ^ a b "Son-for-one-year: Why did Jayalalithaa disown foster son Sudhakaran?". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  31. ^ Mariappan, Julie (6 October 2016). "Jayalalithaa health: Jayalalitha News: Niece – I want to see Jaya aunt, they stopped me at the gates". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  32. ^ "Jayalalithaa to debut in Hindi for campaigns". The Economic Times. Indo-Asian News Service. 8 April 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  33. ^ "Jayalalithaa's deep love for Kannada will surprise you". 27 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020.
  34. ^ a b "Proud Tamilian born in Karnataka, Jayalalithaa had a long history with Kannadiga activists". The News Minute. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  35. ^ "Lesser known facets of Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. 6 December 2016.
  36. ^ "Lawyers hail HC's tribute to Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  37. ^ Ghosh, Deepshikha (1 April 2016). "Jayalalithaa, The Amma Of Tamil Nadu Politics". NDTV. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  38. ^ a b Ramachandran, T. M. (23 October 1965). "A New Bright Star". Sport and Pastime. Vol. 19. pp. 50–51. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  39. ^ a b c d "People's CM Jayalalithaa, an enigma in life and in death". Business Standard. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  40. ^ "Sivaji Ganesan's wish for 12-year-old Jayalalithaa ended up coming true". The News Minute. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  41. ^ "What stars who worked with Jayalalithaa say!". The Times of India. 5 December 2016.
  42. ^ "Jayalilathaa has acted in Kannada". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  43. ^ Khajane, Muralidhara (8 December 2016). "Those Kannada days..." The Hindu. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  44. ^ a b c d e f "A super star in reel & real life". The Hans India. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  45. ^ a b [1], behindwoods.com. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  46. ^ "Did You Know?". Telugucinema.com. 20 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  47. ^ Nadar, Ganesh (6 May 2004). "J Jayalalithaa: The Iron Lady". Rediff. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  48. ^ a b c "Who is J Jayalalithaa?". Chennai: NDTV. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  49. ^ "Who is J Jayalalithaa?". NDTV.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  50. ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (8 December 2016). "Off-screen deity, on-screen goddess". baradwajrangan.wordpress.com. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  51. ^ "No Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa? Madras High Court dismisses PIL to confer late CM with honour". Firstpost. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  52. ^ Guy, Randor (24 April 2016). "Arasa Kattalai (1967)". The Hindu.
  53. ^ "Jaya assets worth Rs 113.73 cr, Rs 3.40 cr less than in 2015". Times Now. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  54. ^ Panda, Samiksha. "The End of an Inspiration : Jayalalithaa Jayaraman". Scroll Today. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  55. ^ "Jayalalithaa's tryst with Telugu films". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  56. ^ Ramaswamy 2007, p. 101
  57. ^ "A life in song". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  58. ^ TOI 1984, p. 305
  59. ^ R.L, Hardgrave (1979). Essays in the political sociology of South India. Usha. p. 120. ISBN 9780836406054. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  60. ^ "Jesus: 1973". The Hindu. 29 March 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  61. ^ "Director Vincent passes away". Business Standard. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  62. ^ "Box office report of 1968". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  63. ^ Shankar, B V Shiva (6 December 2016). "Far from home, Jayalalithaa retained links with Kannada". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  64. ^ "வரலாறு: ஜெ. ஜெயலலிதா மைசூர் முதல் சென்னை வரை!". zeenews (in Tamil). 6 December 2016.
  65. ^ "Remembering Jayalalithaa: From film star to Tamil Nadu CM". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  66. ^ "Jayalalithaa's brief appearance in Neenga nalla irukanum". India Today. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  67. ^ "Jayalalithaa, the golden girl of Tamil cinema". Hindustan Times. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  68. ^ "J Jayalalithaa: The Superstar". Deccan Chronicle. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  69. ^ "Remembering Cho Ramaswamy: From theatre to films, a lodestar of lampoon". Firstpost. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  70. ^ "J Jayalalithaa: The Superstar". Daily Report. 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  71. ^ "TN CM Jayalalithaa service as a Journalist in Private News paper". Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2016 – via YouTube.
  72. ^ "Jayalalithaa Wrote Of Pining For Mother, Blowing Away Sivaji Ganesan". Ndtv.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  73. ^ "This letter sent by Jayalalithaa to a journalist in 1980 shows just how classy she was". The Indian Express. 10 June 1980. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  74. ^ "Jayalalithaa's 'Stinker' To Journalist About Turning Down Rajinikanth Film". ndtv. 10 June 1980. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  75. ^ "Manorama called me Ammu, Jayalalithaa says". The Times of India. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  76. ^ "Cho Ramaswamy: a long-time friend but vocal critic of Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  77. ^ "Jayalalithaa's lunch with her yester year film stars in 2012". Teluguglobal.in. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  78. ^ "I don't think anyone has taken more criticism than I have: Jaya to Simi Garewal". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  79. ^ Vaasanthi (6 December 2016). "How Jayalalithaa made her political debut".
  80. ^ a b "Political Career". Government of Tamil Nadu. State Planning Commission. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  81. ^ "M.G.R.: The original 'ladies man'". The Times of India. 13 March 2010. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  82. ^ "How Jayalalithaa made her political debut". Livemint. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  83. ^ "How Jayalalithaa Stunned Prime Minister Indira Gandhi With Her Maiden Speech In Rajya Sabha". Huffingtonpost.in. 6 December 2016.[permanent dead link]
  84. ^ a b c "Government of Tamil Nadu- Chief Minister". Government of Tamil Nadu. Chennai, India. 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  85. ^ Singh, Bhagwan R (22 January 1984). "Jayalalitha: Lady behind the throne". The Week. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  86. ^ Singh, Khushwant (2001). Notes on the Great Indian Circus. Penguin India. pp. 12–14. ISBN 978-0-14-100576-8.
  87. ^ "State will witness contest in RS elections after 17 years". The Hindu. 20 June 2013.
  88. ^ Nalpat, Madhav (25 December 2011). "First impressions". The Sunday Guardian. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  89. ^ "Tamil Nadu Cabinet decides to recommend Jayalalithaa's name for Bharat Ratna". The Economic Times. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  90. ^ a b c d e "Honourable Chief Minister". Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  91. ^ "ஜெயலலிதா நேசித்த 5 பெண்கள்!". vikatan (in Tamil). 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  92. ^ "Riven by internal dissension, AIADMK Government virtually splits". India Today. 15 September 1984. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  93. ^ "India's Iron lady Jayalalithaa is dead – Vanguard News". 6 December 2016.
  94. ^ Pillai, Ajith; Panneerselvan, A. S. (4 May 1998). "The Life And Times of Jayalalitha". outlookindia. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  95. ^ S.H., Venkatramani (15 February 1985). "They are tarnishing the name of the AIADMK and MGR: Jayalalitha". India Today. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  96. ^ "AIADMK MP Jayalalitha makes her come back as propaganda secretary to thundering applause". 30 September 1985. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  97. ^ "HT THIS DAY: January 2, 1988 — Jayalalitha made Gen Secy; parallel meetings called". hindustan times. Chennai, India. 2 January 1988. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  98. ^ "Jayalalithaa vs Janaki: The last succession battle". the hindu. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  99. ^ Jagmohan 2007, pp. 303–305
  100. ^ a b c d "List of Chief Ministers in Tamil Nadu". Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  101. ^ "I'm MGR's true heir: Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 15 February 2002. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  102. ^ a b "The Revenge Of Draupadi". Outlook. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  103. ^ "Thalaivi Trailer: The truth behind Jayalalithaa's saree pulling scene in Kangana Ranaut-starrer". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  104. ^ Naig, Udhav (18 February 2017). "Nothing can 'beat' 1989 violence". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  105. ^ "Ex-Express photographer recounts how his iconic photograph helped Jayalalithaa become a giant slayer". 6 December 2016.
  106. ^ "When two titans clashed on the Tamil Nadu assembly floor". Caravan. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  107. ^ "Vow to avenge insult". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  108. ^ Jose, Vinod K. (24 April 2014). "When two titans clashed on the Tamil Nadu assembly floor". Caravan.
  109. ^ Chouhan, Shashank (23 November 2012). "A small, shameful history of unparliamentary behavior". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012.
  110. ^ Vaasanthi 2008, pp. 86–88
  111. ^ "1989 ugly episode haunts the House". The Hindu. Chennai. 26 March 2003. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  112. ^ Jacob, Satish (1 July 2001). "Rival's revenge in Tamil Nadu". BBC. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  113. ^ Das 2005, p. 45
  114. ^ a b Ramaswamy 2007, p. xxxiv
  115. ^ "TN: Cradle Baby Scheme In Districts With Low Sex Ratio". Outlook India. Chennai. Press Trust of India. 24 July 2011. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  116. ^ Vanitha 2007, p. 158
  117. ^ Madhukalya, Anwesha. "10 Videos Of Jayalalithaa's Dance Performances That Explain Why She Was Called The 'golden Maiden'". Huffingtonpost.in. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  118. ^ Correspondent, Legal (15 August 1993). "Jayalalitha exploits Tamil insecurity". India Today. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  119. ^ a b Correspondent, Legal (6 December 2016). "An aggressive campaigner for Tamil Nadu's water rights". The Hindu.
  120. ^ "How Tamil Nadu's reservation stands at 69% despite the 50% quota cap". thenewsminute. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  121. ^ Correspondent, Legal (6 November 2014). "69% quota: SC notice to Tamil Nadu". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  122. ^ "THE CONSTITUTION (Seventy-sixth Amendment) Act, 1994". india.gov.in. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  123. ^ "Jayalalithaa changed face of Dravidian politics". Deccan Chronicle. 6 December 2016.
  124. ^ Ramakrishnan, T. (5 December 2016). "The woman behind the 69% quota". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  125. ^ "MOTHER TERESA´S PRAISE FOR CHIEF MINISTER´S GIRLS´ SCHEME CONTROVERSIAL". ucanews. 17 February 1994.
  126. ^ "Mother Teresa will continue to inspire many more, says Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  127. ^ "How Jayalalithaa made Chennai the Detroit of India". Livemint. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  128. ^ "Jayalalithaa catalysed industrial growth in TN". The Hindu. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  129. ^ a b T.S., Subramanian (26 December 1997). "No respite". Frontline. 14 (25). Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  130. ^ "Largest wedding banquet/reception". guinnessworldrecords. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  131. ^ "Most wedding guests". guinnessworldrecords. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  132. ^ Kumar, Anil (22 November 2011). "My foster son's Rs6 cr. wedding expense not paid by me". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  133. ^ "Son-for-one-year: Why did Jayalalithaa disown foster son Sudhakaran?". Asianetnews.tv. 7 October 2016. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  134. ^ Menon, Amarnath K.; G.C., Shekar (31 December 1998). "Booty queen". India Today. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  135. ^ "Colour TV scam: High Court upholds acquittal of Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. Chennai. Press Trust of India. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  136. ^ "Madras HC upholds acquittal of Jayalalithaa in TV scam". Zee News. 22 August 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  137. ^ Vaasanthi (20 February 2017). "The post-truth takeover". India Today. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  138. ^ "AIADMK convention gives Jayalalitha a boost". Rediff.com. 9 January 1998.
  139. ^ "BJP learns some hard lessons about coalition politics". indiatoday. 19 January 1998. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  140. ^ "A jubilee and a jamboree". FrontLine. 10 January 1998.
  141. ^ "Jaya dumps unwanted seats on Cong". indianexpress.com. 31 July 1999. Archived from the original on 16 July 2008.
  142. ^ "Statistical Report on General Elections, 1999 to the Thirteenth Lok Sabha - Vol. 1" (PDF). eci.nic.in. Election Commission of India. 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2010.
  143. ^ "The return of Jayalalitha". Frontline. 26 May 2001. Retrieved 26 May 2001.
  144. ^ a b Subramanian, T. S. (21 May 2001). "The disqualification debate". Frontline. 18 (10). Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  145. ^ "SC pulls up Jayalalithaa for filing 4 nominations in 2001 Assembly polls". The Hindu. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  146. ^ "Panneerselvam govt only a temporary arrangement". The Times of India. 22 September 2001. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  147. ^ "Jayalalitha files nomination papers from Andipatti constituency". Newswire. New Delhi. 15 April 2006. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  148. ^ Singh, Onkar (24 November 2003). "SC acquits Jaya in Tansi land deal case". Rediff. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  149. ^ Ramakrishnan, T. (15 May 2011). "End of 7-year lean phase for AIADMK". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  150. ^ Haviland, Charles (10 June 2003). "Indian women join elite police". BBC. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  151. ^ Kumar, K. Vijay (18 December 2016). "The CM, Veerappan and I". The Week. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  152. ^ "I am legend: Jayalalithaa's top 10 achievements". India Today. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
  153. ^ "Veerappan's killing is my government's greatest achievement: Amma". Outlook India. 19 October 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  154. ^ "The Iron Lady of Indian Politics". Times Now. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  155. ^ Babu, T. E. Narasimhan & Gireesh (6 December 2016). "Jayalalithaa's five most noteworthy contributions to Tamil Nadu". Business Standard. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  156. ^ "Her achievements were discussed by Manmohan, Pranab". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017 – via PressReader.
  157. ^ "How Jayalalitha's administrative skills helped Tamil Nadu recover from tsunami nightmare". First Post. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  158. ^ "Jayalalithaa hands over houses to tsunami-hit". DNA India. Press Trust of India. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  159. ^ "Jayalalithaa resigns as chief minister". rediff. 11 May 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2006.
  160. ^ "Jayalalithaa resigns as TN CM". Hindustan Times. 11 May 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2006.
  161. ^ "DMK to form minority govt in Tamil Nadu". Outlook. 11 May 2006. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  162. ^ "AIADMK attacks Karuna for 'Mrs Jaya' remark". India Today. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  163. ^ "Jayalalithaa elected Leader of Oppn in TN assembly". The Times of India. 29 May 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
  164. ^ "AIADMK MLAs suspended for rest of the session". Hindustan Times. 26 May 2006. Retrieved 26 May 2006.
  165. ^ "Jayalalitha moves court to retrieve island from Sri Lanka". India Today. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  166. ^ a b c "On Sri Lanka, Jayalalithaa took a strong line". The Hindu. 8 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  167. ^ "Maitreyan reveals 'secret' LTTE letter". The Times of India. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  168. ^ "AIADMK shows its strength in Coimbatore". Economic Times. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  169. ^ "Trichy: Jayalalithaa targets DMK in mega rally". NDTV. PTI. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  170. ^ P, Krishnakumar (19 October 2010). "Jayalalitha holds mega rally in DMK bastion". rediff. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  171. ^ Raj, D Ram (19 October 2010). "Jayalalithaa rallies in Madurai despite threats". DNA India. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  172. ^ "Jayalalithaa sworn in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  173. ^ "Amma Let Sasikala Stay Only Because of DA Case: Natarajan in 2014". The Quint. 8 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  174. ^ "Jaya expels close aide Sasikala, husband from AIADMK". The Indian Express. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  175. ^ "Sasikala back at Poes Garden". The New Indian Express. 3 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  176. ^ "Sasikala Natarajan: Friend, shadow, sister and now Jayalalithaa's political heir". The News Minute. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  177. ^ "Transgenders to get Rs 1,000 monthly pension". The Times of India. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  178. ^ "Free laptop Scheme Tamil Nadu". Startupindiascheme. 14 February 2016. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  179. ^ Janardhanan, Arun (19 May 2016). "The Jayalalithaa model works: Power to the people and freebies for the poor". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  180. ^ "Revised marriage aid scheme launched". The Hindu. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  181. ^ "There is no magic in Tamil Nadu being a power surplus state, Jayalalithaa says". The Times of India. 3 August 2016.
  182. ^ "Tamil Nadu on verge of becoming power surplus state: CM Jayalalithaa". The Economic Times. 9 September 2015.
  183. ^ "TN govt seek PM's help for evacuation of surplus wind power". The Indian Express. 9 July 2016.
  184. ^ "Jayalalithaa's achievements over the last few years". Thehansindia.com. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  185. ^ "'Vision 2023' has achievable components: Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  186. ^ "Chief Minister's comprehensive health insurance scheme launched". The Hindu. 11 January 2012.
  187. ^ Jean Drèze; Amartya Sen (11 August 2013). An Uncertain Glory India and Its Contradictions. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400848775.
  188. ^ "In Lockdown, Tamil Nadu's Amma Canteens Rise to the Occasion". The Wire. 25 March 2020.
  189. ^ "Amma canteens and Amartya Sen". The Hindu. 13 August 2013.
  190. ^ "Tamil Nadu's Amma canteen concept catches on in other states". Live Mint. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  191. ^ "Egypt comes calling at Amma Canteen". The Hindu. 1 June 2014.
  192. ^ "Fame of Amma canteens head to Egypt". India TV. 1 June 2014.
  193. ^ "New budget restaurants to be renamed Amma Unavagam". The Hindu. 24 February 2013.
  194. ^ "Taste Amma mineral water at Rs. 10 in Chennai". The Hindu. 7 September 2013.
  195. ^ "Now comes 'Amma Salt'". The Hindu. 11 June 2014.
  196. ^ "Jaya Launches 'Amma' Medical Shops". Outlook. 26 June 2014.
  197. ^ "Tamil Nadu govt launches 'Amma Cement'". The Hindu. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  198. ^ "TN CM launches 'Amma baby care Kit' scheme". Business Standard. 8 September 2015.
  199. ^ "The many things Amma was: List of schemes implemented by Jayalalithaa". Business Standard. 6 December 2016.
  200. ^ "SC quashes Kerala dam law". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  201. ^ "Jayalalithaa dedicates historic victory to people of Tamil Nadu". Deccan Chronicle. 8 May 2014.
  202. ^ "CM's power play: the hits and misses". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  203. ^ "Jayalalithaa takes credit for Centre finally notifying Cauvery Tribunal's award in gazette". The Times of India. 20 February 2013.
  204. ^ "Jayalalithaa observes fast on Cauvery issue; flays Centre, TN govt". Daily News and Analysis. 18 March 2007.
  205. ^ "The Thevar factor: Who is the 'real' AIADMK for the dominant OBC community?". thenewsminute. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  206. ^ "Jayalalithaa gifts 13kg gold armour for Thevar leader's statue". timesofindia. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  207. ^ "Gold Armour Gifted by Jayalalithaa Adorns Thevar Statue for Jayanthi". newindianexpress. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  208. ^ "AIADMK treasurer receives Thevar's golden armour from bank". dtnext. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  209. ^ "Where are Jaya's assets?". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  210. ^ "Jayalalithaa Gets 4-year Jail, Fined Rs 100 Cr". BusinessWorld. 27 September 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  211. ^ "O Panneerselvam sworn-in as Tamil Nadu CM". 29 September 2014.
  212. ^ "India's Supreme Court grants bail to Jayalalitha". BBC. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  213. ^ "Jayalalithaa returns to Chennai after spending 21 days in Bangalore jail". India Today. 18 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  214. ^ "Live: Jayalalithaa acquitted in DA case". The Hindu. 10 May 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  215. ^ Mahapatra, Dhananjay (14 February 2017). "Sasikala's conviction in wealth case upheld by Supreme Court". The Times of India.
  216. ^ "Jayalalithaa is CM again". The Hindu. 24 May 2015.
  217. ^ "Jayalalithaa returns as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for fifth term, AIADMK completes 4 years in power". India Today. 23 May 2015.
  218. ^ "LIVE: Jayalalithaa wins in RK Nagar with a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes, Congress takes Aruvikkara". The Indian Express. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  219. ^ "TN rolls out master health plan for the poor". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  220. ^ "Jayalalithaa announces free bus ride scheme for senior citizens". The Times of India. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  221. ^ "Jayalalithaa's five most noteworthy contributions to Tamil Nadu". Business Standard. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  222. ^ "Jaya Propelled States Business Prospects | Latest Information on Breaking News & Updates on Chennai at News Today". Archived from the original on 25 July 2018.
  223. ^ "Jayalalithaa offers free rice to mosques during Ramzan". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  224. ^ "Jaya's rice scheme for mosques lauded by Pakistan TV channel: AIADMK". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  225. ^ "உலக இஸ்லாமியர்களை நெகிழச் செய்த முதலமைச்சர் ஜெயலலிதாவின் ரமலான் நோன்பு கஞ்சிக்கான அரிசி திட்டம் – தமிழகத்தை பின்பற்றி பாகிஸ்தானிலும் செயல்படுத்த வேண்டும் என அந்நாட்டு பிரதான தொலைக்காட்சிகள் செய்தி வெளியீடு". Jaya Plus. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  226. ^ "Tamil Nadu women get 50 per cent quota in local bodies". Deccan Chronicle. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  227. ^ "Jayalalithaa Thanks MLAs for Adopted Bills Providing 50 Percent Reservation for Women in Local Bodies". New Indian Express. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  228. ^ "Jayalalithaa government 'most corrupt': Amit Shah". The Hindu. 13 April 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  229. ^ "Carnival atmosphere reigns at CM's rally". The Hindu. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  230. ^ "Tamil Nadu elections 2016: Jayalalithaa's AIADMK scripts 'history', DMK rues big loss; 5.55 lakh opt for NOTA". The Financial Express. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  231. ^ Roychowdhury, Adrija (19 May 2016). "After MGR, Jayalalithaa the first to retain power in Tamil Nadu". The Indian Express. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  232. ^ Balasubramanian, Shyam (19 May 2016). "I built an alliance with the people: Jayalalithaa on her victory in the Tamil Nadu elections". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  233. ^ "Jayalalithaa completes 100 days in office". Business Standard. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  234. ^ "Chief Minister Jayalalithaa completes 100 days in office". The Week. Indo-Asian News Service. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  235. ^ "Chief Minister Jayalalithaa inaugurates 2nd elevated corridor of Chennai Metro". India Live Today. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  236. ^ "Jayalalithaa – Economic Times". The Economic Times. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  237. ^ Tilak, Sudha G. (5 December 2016). "Jayalalitha: The 'goddess' of Tamil Nadu politics". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  238. ^ Shanker, V. Prem. "Cult personality or cultivated loyalty: What explains outpouring of grief for the jailed Jayalalithaa?". The Economic Times. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  239. ^ Kumar, B. Aravind (6 December 2016). "The enduring enigma that was Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  240. ^ a b "Profile: Jayaram Jayalalitha". 30 March 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  241. ^ Chandrajit Mitra (5 December 2019). "3 years after Jaya's death, AIADMK seems out of servitude, subjugation". The Federal. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  242. ^ "For all her political success, it's time to admit Jayalalithaa was no Amma". Hindustan Times. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  243. ^ Sudhir, T. S. (4 December 2017). "Jayalalithaa's 'Tainted' Legacy and Where AIADMK Goes From Here". TheQuint. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  244. ^ Aravind, Indulekha. "Eulogised in death, Jayalalithaa leaves a checkered legacy". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  245. ^ Bearak, Barry (16 March 1999). "In the Hands Of India Star, A Spike Heel Could Hurt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  246. ^ "Rediff On The NeT: TN defies Centre in assault case against Jaya". Rediff.com.
  247. ^ BSCAL (15 May 1998). "Jaya Charged In Rs 10crore Colour Tv Scam". Business Standard India. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  248. ^ "Jayalalitha acquitted in colour TV scam". The Indian Express. Chennai. Press Trust of India. 21 August 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  249. ^ Shivashankar, BV (9 December 2016). "J Jayalalithaa: Jayalalithaa's 10,500 saris, 750 slippers, 500 wine glasses in court". The Times of India.
  250. ^ a b "Once Jayalalithaa's favoured foster son, Sudhakaran now refused entry into Apollo". thenewsminute.com. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  251. ^ SHEKHAR, G. C. (30 September 1995). "Jayalalitha's foster son married off amid extravagance and controversy". India Today.
  252. ^ "Jayalalithaa Lied, She Spent 3 Crores on Foster Son's Wedding, Says Court". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  253. ^ "Sasikala: The 'new mother' of Tamil Nadu politics". BBC News. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  254. ^ TNN (29 September 2014). "Disowned foster son joins Jaya in prison". The Times of India.
  255. ^ "Jayalalithaa sentenced to 4 years in jail; clashes in Tamil Nadu". Hindustan Times. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  256. ^ "5 facts you didn't know about J Jayalalithaa – Unknown facts about Amma". The Economic Times. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  257. ^ "23-year-old TANSI case has finally ended for Jayalalithaa: A look back". thenewsminute.com. 7 March 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  258. ^ Subramani, A. (6 March 2015). "23 years on, HC brings curtains down on TANSI case against Jaya". The Times of India.
  259. ^ "From trial court verdict by John Michael D'Cunha". Frontline. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  260. ^ "Jayalalithaa's court appearance over, heads back to Chennai". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  261. ^ Mahapatra, Dhananjay (14 February 2017). "Sasikala news: Sasikala's conviction in wealth case upheld by Supreme Court | India News". The Times of India.
  262. ^ "Sasikala convicted in DA case, she must serve remaining jail term, rules Supreme Court".
  263. ^ "Jayalalithaa DA case: Supreme Court rejects Karnataka government's review plea". The Times of India. 5 April 2017.
  264. ^ "DA case: SC rejects Karnataka's curative petition". business standard. 28 September 2018.
  265. ^ Correspondent, Our Special (3 February 2000). "HOTEL CASE VERDICT: AIADMK volunteers go berserk". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  266. ^ "Jayalalithaa's blast from the past – convictions and imprisonments". The News Minute. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  267. ^ "23-year-old TANSI case has finally ended for Jayalalithaa: A look back". The News Minute. 7 March 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  268. ^ Subramani, A. (6 March 2015). "23 years on, HC brings curtains down on TANSI case against Jaya". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  269. ^ "Panneerselvam to hold CM's portfolios". The Economic Times. Economic time. 12 October 2016.
  270. ^ "India's Jayaram Jayalalitha still 'critical' after heart attack". BBC. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  271. ^ "CM in grave situation, says Apollo Hospitals MD". Firstpost. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  272. ^ "Jayalalitha passes away". The Indian Express. 5 December 2016.[permanent dead link]
  273. ^ Ankita, Bhandari (6 December 2016). "Central govt announces one-day mourning after Jayalalithaa's death". Zee News. New Delhi. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  274. ^ a b "Jayalalithaa no more: Centre declares one-day mourning as mark of respect". ANI. New Delhi. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  275. ^ "Jayalalithaa death: Centre declares one-day national mourning for Amma, Tricolour to fly at half mast". The Indian Express. New Delhi. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  276. ^ "Three-day official mourning declared in Kerala after Jayalalithaa's demise". The New Indian Express. Thiruvananthapuram. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  277. ^ "Jayalalithaa death: Pondicherry announces 3-day state mourning". The Indian Express. Puducherry. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  278. ^ "Jayalalithaa death: Karnataka declares a day of mourning". The Indian Express. Bengaluru. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  279. ^ "All of Bihar is mourning Jayalalithaa's demise: Nitish Kumar". The Indian Express. Patna. 6 December 2016.
  280. ^ "West Bengal declares state mourning on Jayalalithaa's death". The Times of India. Kolkata. 6 December 2016.
  281. ^ "One day's state mourning in Punjab on Jayalalithaa's". United News of India. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  282. ^ "Goa govt mourns death of Jayalalithaa". The Times of India. Panaji. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  283. ^ "Jayalalithaa remembered as dynamic, popular leader". Business Standard. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  284. ^ "Tweeple send social media into a tizzy". Business Line. 6 December 2016.
  285. ^ "Jayalalithaa To Be Buried In Sandalwood Casket Next To Mentor M.G.R." NDTV. 6 December 2016.
  286. ^ "Jayalalitha last rites: Amma's Death: Jayalalithaa buried with full state honours". The Times of India. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  287. ^ "Jayalalithaa's achievements were discussed by Manmohan, Pranab". Archived from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  288. ^ "Statement by Ambassador Richard R. Verma on the Death of the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa". usembassy.gov. 6 December 2016.
  289. ^ "Ambassador Luo Zhaohui sends a condolences letter to the Government of Tamil Nadu on the passing away of Smt. Jayalalithaa". in.china.embassy.gov. cn. 6 December 2016.
  290. ^ "Press Release on Condolence Messages on Passing Away of Selvi Jayalalithaa". mofa.gov.np. 6 December 2016.
  291. ^ "Bangladesh condoles Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's death, lauds her leadership". bdnews24. 6 December 2016.
  292. ^ "Ambassador's message". newdelhi-emb.mfa.gov.tr. 6 December 2016.
  293. ^ "Demise of Ms J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu". eoi.gov.in. 7 December 2016.
  294. ^ Mohd Najib Tun Razak [@NajibRazak] (6 December 2016). "My condolences to the people of India on the passing of the late J. Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  295. ^ "Sri Lanka Prez, leaders from Singapore, Malaysia condole Jayalalithaa's death". Business Line. 6 December 2016.
  296. ^ "Jayalalithaa demise: Condolences pour in from countries". The Indian Express. 6 December 2016.
  297. ^ "President, PM condole Jayalalithaa's demise". the himalayan times. 6 December 2016.
  298. ^ "Condolences pour in from Sri Lanka to US on Amma's demise". The New Indian Express. 6 December 2016.
  299. ^ "How world media covered the death of 'Iron Lady' Jayalalithaa". The Indian Express. 6 December 2016.
  300. ^ "Jayaram Jayalalitha, powerful Indian politician who broke gender barriers, dies at 68". The Washington Post. 5 December 2016.
  301. ^ "Death of Tamil Nadu's Leader Leaves Power Vacuum in Southern India". The New York Times. 5 December 2016.
  302. ^ "Jayalalithaa Jayaram, Tamil Nadu's 'iron lady', dies at 68". The Guardian. 5 December 2016.
  303. ^ Nanda, Karan (11 December 2016). "470 people die in shock over Jayalalithaa's demise; AIADMK announces Rs 3 lakh compensation". India TV. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  304. ^ Madhav, Pramod (23 September 2017). "How did J Jayalalithaa die? Year later, AIADMK leader says was forced to lie about Amma's death". India Today. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  305. ^ "AIADMK sacks Sasikala, says Jaya is 'eternal general secretary'". Deccan Chronicle. 12 September 2017.
  306. ^ "J Jayalalithaa no longer 'eternal general secretary' of AIADMK". thenewsminute. 11 July 2022.
  307. ^ "Over 10,000 clothes, 8,000 books among Jayalalitha's assets taken over by TN government". India Today. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  308. ^ "4 kg gold, 8,376 books among Jayalalithaa properties listed by Tamil Nadu govt". The Indian Express. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  309. ^ Subramanian, Lakshmi (7 May 2018). "Jayalalithaa memorial, to be built at a cost of Rs 50 crore, to resemble phoenix". The Week. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  310. ^ "Tamil Nadu govt inaugurates sprawling 'phoenix' themed memorial of Jayalalithaa". India Today. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  311. ^ "Jayalalithaa memorial inauguration on Jan 27". The New Indian Express. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  312. ^ "Jayalalithaa's nephew, niece entitled to her assets: Madras High Court". The Hindu. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  313. ^ "Over a year after Jaya's death, mystery deepens as gaps in narrative emerge". thenewsminute. 6 July 2018.
  314. ^ "DMK Treasurer demands probe over Jayalalithaa's death". business standard. 30 December 2016.
  315. ^ "TN parties demand probe into Jaya's death". deccanherald. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  316. ^ "Jayalalithaa's house to be made a memorial, retired judge to probe her death". thenewsminute. 17 August 2017.
  317. ^ a b c "Jayalalithaa death probe panel to submit report today". The Times of India. 27 August 2022.
  318. ^ a b "Jayalalithaa Death Probe: Apollo Hospital Tells SC That It Will Not Appear Before Arumughaswamy Commission". abplive. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  319. ^ "Over a year after Jaya's death, mystery deepens as gaps in narrative emerge". thenewsminute. 6 July 2018.
  320. ^ "Jayalalithaa death probe: Arumughaswamy Commission gets eighth extension". thenewsminute. 25 June 2020.
  321. ^ "11-வது முறையாக நீட்டிப்பு: ஆறுமுகசாமி ஆணையத்துக்கு மேலும் 6 மாதம் கால அவகாசம் தமிழக அரசு உத்தரவு". dailythanthi. 23 July 2021.
  322. ^ Rajagopal, Krishnadas (30 November 2021). "SC to allow setting up of medical board to aid Jaya death probe panel". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  323. ^ "Arumughaswamy Commission completes hearing". the hindu. 26 April 2022.
  324. ^ "Jayalalithaa death case: Probe panel completes hearing, nearly 5 years after it was formed". The Indian Express. 27 April 2022.
  325. ^ "Tamil Nadu govt grants final extension to Justice Arumughaswamy Commission till August 24". The Times of India. 3 August 2022.
  326. ^ "ஆறுமுகசாமி ஆணையத்துக்கு 14வது முறையாக அவகாசம் நீட்டிப்பு". dailythanthi. 3 August 2022.
  327. ^ Kannan, Ramya (20 August 2022). "AIIMS panel gives clean chit to Apollo Hospitals on Jayalalithaa treatment". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  328. ^ "ஜெயலலிதா மரணத்தில் நடந்தது என்ன? 600 பக்க அறிக்கையை முதல்வரிடம் தாக்கல் செய்த ஆறுமுகசாமி ஆணையம்!". abplive tamil. 27 August 2022.
  329. ^ "ஜெயலலிதா மரணம் தொடர்பான விசாரணை- முதலமைச்சரிடம் அறிக்கையை தாக்கல் செய்தது ஆறுமுகசாமி ஆணையம்". maalaimalar. 27 August 2022.
  330. ^ "ஜெயலலிதா மரணம்: ஆறுமுகசாமி ஆணையம் வெளியிட்ட அதிர்ச்சி தகவல்". zeenews india. 18 October 2022.
  331. ^ "Jayalalithaa Death: Panel Blames Sasikala, Advises Probe Against Her, Ex-Health Minister". news18. 18 October 2022.
  332. ^ "Jayalalithaa Death: Arumugasamy Commission Orders Inquiry Against Sasikala, Former Minister And Ex Health Secy". abp live. 18 October 2022.
  333. ^ "REPORT OF JUSTICE THIRU A. ARUMUGHASWAMY COMMISSION OF INQUIRY" (PDF). the hindu. 18 October 2022.
  334. ^ "How Mani Ratnam's Iruvar put the spotlight on Jaya". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  335. ^ "Throwback: When Aishwarya played Jayalalithaa on the big-screen". Deccan Chronicle. 7 December 2016.
  336. ^ "Aishwarya Rai as Jayalalithaa: When the Big Screen Proved Small". The Quint. 6 December 2016.
  337. ^ Gowda, Aravind (1 October 2014). "Jayalalithaa's reel and real life inspires Amma". India Today.
  338. ^ Ramasubramanian, Uma (26 June 2018). "Why Jayalalithaa biopic was shelved, ones on Indira Gandhi, Shastri remain uncertain". Deccan Chronicle.
  339. ^ "Jayalalithaa's life on film: Dasari Narayana Rao to direct biopic?". India Today. Ist.
  340. ^ "Dasari Narayana Rao had planned Jayalalithaa biopic with Anushka Shetty". Hindustan Times. 31 May 2017.
  341. ^ "A biopic on J Jayalalithaa". The Times of India.
  342. ^ "Jayalalithaa biopic in the works, titled 'Thaai: Puratchi Thalaivi'". Scroll.in.
  343. ^ "Three Jayalalithaa biopics in a week: Bharathirajaa wants Aishwarya as Amma?". India Today. Ist.
  344. ^ "Jayalalithaa biopic announced with AL Vijay as director. Details here". India Today. Ist.
  345. ^ Manik, Rajeshwari (28 December 2018). "Sai Pallavi May Play Sasikala In AL Vijay's Jayalalithaa Biopic".
  346. ^ "Anushka Shetty, Aishwarya Rai, Vidya Balan in talks to play Jayalalithaa in upcoming biopic: All you need to know". Firstpost. 26 August 2018.
  347. ^ a b Naig, Udhav (17 August 2018). "One more biopic planned on former CM Jayalalithaa". The Hindu.
  348. ^ "Makers of 'Thalaivi' sort issues; film to release as scheduled". The Times of India. 3 September 2021.
  349. ^ "Another biopic on Jayalalithaa announced!". India Today. Ist.
  350. ^ "Nithya Menen on her signing spree, working with Mysskin in Psycho and playing Jayalalitha in Priyadarshini's biopic". Firstpost. 18 November 2018.
  351. ^ "The Iron Lady: Nithya Menen as Jayalalithaa, Varalakshmi to play Sasikala?". Sify. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019.
  352. ^ Manik, Rajeshwari (31 October 2018). "'The Iron Lady' Biopic On Jayalalithaa To Go On Floors February 2019".
  353. ^ "Filmmaker Gautham Menon to helm a web series on Jayalalithaa". mid-day. 30 August 2018.
  354. ^ "Gautham Menon silently directing Jayalalithaa biopic!". Sify.
  355. ^ Manik, Rajeshwari (22 December 2018). "Gautham Menon To Direct A TV Series On J Jayalalithaa".
  356. ^ V (24 October 2018). "Lingusamy To Direct Jayalalithaa Biopic".
  357. ^ "Sasilalitha: Another biopic on former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa announced". India Today. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  358. ^ "Mani Ratnam told Trisha Krishnan to take inspiration from this politician to play Kundavai in Ponniyin Selvan 2". Hindustan Times. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  359. ^ "Rendezvous with Jayalalithaa". Simi Garewal. 11 February 2017. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019.
  360. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Awards and Special Degrees". Chennai, India: Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  361. ^ "Awards". NDTV. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  362. ^ "Jayalalithaa to be awarded soon". The Economic Times. 8 October 2004.
  363. ^ "The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa, receiving the 'Paul Harris Fellow recognition' and the 'Lifetime Achievement award' from the Rotary International District 3230 Governor, Benjamin Cherian (ext left), at a function in Chennai on February 23, 2005". The Hindu. 23 February 2005.
  364. ^ "Jayalalithaa statue to be installed at State Council for Higher Education". The Hindu. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  365. ^ "Tamil Nadu government to rename three metro rail stations in Chennai after late Chief Ministers". The New Indian Express. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  366. ^ a b c d e f g h "'எழுத்தாளர்' ஜெயலலிதாவின் நிறைவேறாமல் போன சுயசரிதை ஆசை!". vikatan (in Tamil). 30 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  367. ^ a b c d e f g h "ஜெயலலிதாவின் எழுத்துப் பயணம்!". hindutamil (in Tamil). 8 December 2016.
  368. ^ a b c d e f g h "Jayalalitha's tryst with writing". moneylife. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  369. ^ a b c d e f g h "வாசிப்பும், யோசிப்பும் 201: ஜெயலலிதா என்னும் எழுத்தாளர் பற்றி..." geotamil (in Tamil). 7 October 2016.
  370. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "மனதை தொட்ட மலர்கள் – எழுத்தாளர் ஜெயலலிதா". dinamalar (in Tamil). 6 December 2016.
  371. ^ a b "She writes to conquer". The Week. 22 January 1984.
  372. ^ a b "ஜெயலலிதாவின் மனங்கவர்ந்த நாவல் இதுதான்!". vikatan (in Tamil). 8 December 2016.
  373. ^ "Inside Jayalalithaa's library: 8,376 books, Tirukkural to Discovery of India". The Indian Express. 31 July 2020.
  374. ^ a b "The Jaya you didn't know". rediff.com. 25 December 2016.
  375. ^ "ஜெயலலிதா நினைவு தினம் : தமிழ்நாடு கிரிக்கெட் அசோசியேசன் முதல் பெண் உறுப்பினர்". The Indian Express (in Tamil). 2 December 2017.
  376. ^ a b "The Rediff Interview/ J Jayalalitha". Rediff.com. 1 April 1999.
  377. ^ a b "A peek into Jayalalithaa's world of knowledge". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  378. ^ Steel, Danielle (1996). Malice. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385306040.
  379. ^ "The book Jayalalithaa ensured her doctor read". The Times of India. 10 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  380. ^ "Jayalalithaa on Simi Garewal show: 15 quotes that show her strong character, leadership and human side". india.com. 6 December 2016.

External links edit