Jayalalithaa

( Feb 24 1948 - Dec 05 2016 )

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Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and actress who served as the Six time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years between 1991 and 2016. Jayalalithaa Jayaram, an Indian actress-turned-politician, was a six-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu. She was also the General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party. She was sworn-in as the chief minister for a record sixth term on 23 May 2016. Jayalalithaa died in office on December 5, 2016 at the age of 68 years after suffering from a major cardiac arrest. She held the distinction for being the second female Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Her followers fondly refer to her as "Amma", meaning mother, and "Puratchi Thalaivi", meaning revolutionary leader. Jayalalithaa, as she was commonly referred to, was a famous South Indian film star before she joined politics. She had appeared as a lead actress in various films in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu languages. She was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1984 and served in this post till 1989. Tamil Nadu. She also shares the record of holding the chief ministerial position five times with DMK president M. Karunanidhi. Her followers fondly call her “Amma”, meaning mother, and "Puratchi Thalaivi", meaning revolutionary leader. Jayalalitha, as she is commonly referred to, was a famous South Indian film star before she joined politics. She had appeared as a lead actress in various films in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu languages. Jayalalitha was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1984 and served in this post till 1989. Jayalalitha was elected as a member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989 from the Bodinayakkanur constituency. Jayalalitha was the first lady to become the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. The two factions of the party reunited in February 1989 under the leadership of Jayalalitha, who was unanimously elected as the General Secretary of the united AIADMK. The election symbol of the AIADMK party, 'Two Leaves', was restored by her in 1989. Jayalalitha directed the Congress (I) and AIADMK alliance to a historic victory in the 1989 General Elections to the Lok Sabha in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Under her leadership, the AIADMK secured victories in all the subsequent by-elections from the constituencies of Peranamallur, Madurai East and Marungapuri to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. A landslide victory was secured by Jayalalitha in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections held in 1991, when the party and its alliance won 225 out of the total 234 seats. She contested from two constituencies, Kangeyam and Bargur, and won both the seats comprehensively. In 1972, the Government of Tamil Nadu honoured her with the Kalaimamani Award. A degree of Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.) was conferred upon her by the University of Madras in 1991. A degree of Doctor of Science was conferred upon her by Dr. M.G.R. Medical University in 1992. A degree of Doctor of Letters was conferred upon her by Madurai Kamaraj University in 1993. A degree of Doctor of Science was given to her by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 2003. A degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris causa) was conferred upon her by Bharathidasan University in 2003. She was invited by the House of Lords, London, in 2004 to receive the "Woman Politician of the Decade" Award from the Asian Guild Awards. The Golden Star of Honour and Dignity Award was conferred upon her in 2004 by the International Human Rights Defence Committee recognising her services in protecting the weaker section of society and in the field of gender equality in Tamil Nadu and India. In 2011, a resolution was passed by the New Jersey General Assembly to appreciate her exemplary excellence and dedication as a leader and in service to the people of Tamil Nadu.

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Indian politician and actress

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