She is a force to be reckoned with as the Indian marathon elections are underway. Jayalalithaa Jayaram – chief minister of Tamil Nadu – and a former movie star could play the role of a kingmaker for frontrunner Hindu hardliner and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Born in Mysore in 1948, Jayalalithaa enjoyed a thriving film career until she made her foray in politics in 1981 – a move which was allegedly facilitated by her friendship with the then-chief minister of Tamil Nadu M.G. Ramachandran and leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Partnered with Jayalalithaa as her on-screen love interest, the late Ramachandran had formed AIADMK in 1972 after parting ways with the state’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. Following his illness in 1984, Jayalalithaa allegedly attempted to take the party reigns in her hand.

Later, the success of the AIADMK in the Lokh Sabha and municipal elections and Ramachandran’s subsequent death in 1987 saw Jayalalithaa assuming the party chief’s position.

It was however split into two factions – one which pledged allegiance to Jayalalithaa and the other to Ramachandran’s wife Janaki.

Referred as Amma by her fans, Jayalalithaa was named a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1984 and she retained her seat until she won the election from the Bodinayakkanur constituency in 1989.

Though her party did not form the government, the former glamorous movie star became the first woman to be elected opposition leader in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Allying with the Congress, Jayalalithaa also became the first female chief minister of Tamil Nadu state in 1991 after winning from two constituencies, including Bargur and Kangeyam. Preferring to hold the Bargur seat, she relinquished the latter.

Ever since then she has received both praise from her supporters for launching populist schemes and flak from her detractors for corruption allegations.

During a police raid at her house in 1997, over 10,000 saris and 750 pairs of shoes were discovered whereas a related court case accusing her of amassing disproportionate wealth is still in progress. She lost the legislative assembly elections in 1996 but returned to power in 2002 winning from the Andipatti constituency in the wake of which she served her second term as chief minister of Tamil Nadu until 2006.

In 2011, AIADMK was again voted to power and Jayalalithaa entered her third term as Tamil Nadu chief minister.

— Research and text by Fatema Imani