12/14/2016

JayalalithaaWikipedia

alithaaJayaram[a](24February19485December2016)wasanIndianactressandpoliticianwhoservedfive
termsastheChiefMinisterofTamilNadu,foroverfourteenyearsbetween1991and2016.From1989shewas
thegeneralsecretaryoftheAllIndiaAnnaDravidaMunnetraKazhagam(AIADMK),aDravidianpartywhosecadre
reveredherastheirAmma(mother)andPuratchiThalaivi(revolutionaryleader),amongotherhonorifics.Criticsin
themediaandtheoppositionaccusedheroffosteringapersonalitycult,andofdemandingabsoluteloyaltyfrom
AIADMKlegislatorsandministerswhooftenpubliclyprostratedthemselvesbeforeher.[3]
Jayalalithaafirstcameintoprominenceasaleadingfilmactorinthemid1960s.Thoughshehadenteredthe
professionveryreluctantly,onlyupontheurgingofhermothertohelpsupportthefamily,Jayalalithaaworked
prolifically.Sheappearedin140filmsfrom1961to1980,primarilyintheTamil,TeluguandKannadafilm
industries.Jayalalithaareceivedpraiseforherversatilityasanactorandforherdancingskills.Amongher
frequentcostarswasM.G.Ramachandran,orMGR,aTamilculturaliconwholeveragedhisimmensepopularity
withthemassesintoasuccessfulpoliticalcareer.In1982,whenMGRwaschiefminister,Jayalalithaajoinedthe
AIADMK,thepartyhefounded.HerpoliticalrisewasrapidwithinafewyearsshebecameAIADMKpropaganda
secretaryandwaselectedtotheRajyaSabha,theupperhouseofIndia'sParliament.AfterMGR'sdeathin1987,
Jayalalithaaproclaimedherselfhispoliticalheirand,havingfoughtoffthefactionheadedbyJanaki
Ramachandran,MGR'swidow,emergedasthesoleleaderoftheAIADMK.Followingthe1989election,she
becameLeaderoftheOppositiontotheDMKgovernmentheadedbyKarunanidhi,herbtenoire.
In1991Jayalalithaabecamechiefminister,TamilNadu'syoungest,forthefirsttime.Sheearnedareputationfora
punishingworkethicandforcentralisingstatepoweramongacoterieofbureaucratshercouncilofministers,
whomsheoftenshuffledaround,werelargelyceremonialinnature.Thesuccessfulcradlebabyscheme,which
enabledmotherstoanonymouslyoffertheirnewbornsforadoption,emergedduringthistime.Despiteanofficial
salaryofonlyarupeeamonth,Jayalalithaaindulgedinpublicdisplaysofwealth,culminatinginalavishwedding
forherfostersonin1995.Inthe1996election,theAIADMKwasnearlywipedoutatthehustingsJayalalithaa
herselflostherseat.ThenewKarunanidhigovernmentquicklyfiledseveralcorruptioncasesagainsther,andshe
hadtospendtimeinjail.Herfortunesrevivedinthe1998generalelection,astheAIADMKbecameakey
componentofPrimeMinisterAtalBihariVajpayee's199899governmentherwithdrawalofsupporttoppleditand
triggeredanothergeneralelectionjustayearlater.
TheAIADMKreturnedtopowerin2001,althoughJayalalithaawaspersonallydisbarredfromcontestingdueto
thecorruptioncases.Withinafewmonthsofhertakingoathaschiefminister,inSeptember2001,shewas
disqualifiedfromholdingoffice,andforcedtocedethechairtoloyalistO.Panneerselvam.Uponheracquittalsix
monthslater,Jayalalithaareturnedaschiefministertocompleteherterm.Notedforitsruthlessnesstopolitical
opponents,manyofwhomwerearrestedinmidnightraids,thegovernmentgrewunpopular.Anotherperiod
(200611)intheoppositionfollowed,beforeJayalalithaawassworninaschiefministerforthefourthtimeafter
theAIADMKsweptthe2011assemblyelection.Hergovernmentreceivedattentionforitsextensivesocialwelfare
agenda,whichincludedseveralsubsidised"Amma"brandedgoodssuchascanteens,bottledwaterandsalt.
Threeyearsintohertenure,shewasconvictedinadisproportionateassetscase,renderingherdisqualifiedto
holdoffice.ShereturnedaschiefministerafterbeingacquittedinMay2015.Inthe2016assemblyelection,she
becamethefirstTamilNaduchiefministersinceMGRin1984tobevotedbackintooffice.ThatSeptember,she
fellseverelyilland,following75daysofhospitalization,diedon5December2016duetocardiacarrest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayalalithaa

1/1