In a television interview some years ago, Ms Jayalalithaa described herself as “ kadavulin kuzhandai ', or ‘child of God'. The portrayal, which happened in the aftermath of her loss in elections in 1996, brought out the anguish of a loner —believed to be at the root of her well-known personality traits — fierce independence and impulsiveness.

Ms Jayalalithaa, who will be sworn in Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the third time, has used these two fundamental characteristics to fight her way over hurdles all her life — the latest being the 2011 elections.

Born on February 24, 1948, Ms Jayalalithaa was introduced to the film-world by her actor-mother. The Bharata Natyam dancer who had a penchant for the book had wanted to pursue a career in law, but ended up facing the film camera; something the politician has publicly rued.

Paired regularly opposite the legendary MGR (M. G. Ramachandran), she followed him into politics and the AIADMK that he founded. She then became a member of the Rajya Sabha. In the turbulent aftermath of MGR's death in 1987, Ms Jayalalithaa took over the reins of the AIADMK. Her grit and determination saw through the party tumult and in 1991 led the AIADMK to an election win to become Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

According to those who know her well, though impulsive and abrupt, Ms Jayalalithaa can also be disarmingly charming which, it is said, came as the icing-on-the-cake, when Ford was looking for a place in India to build a factory. Ford came, and paved the way for Hyundai, Saint-Gobain Glass and other international biggies.

In the ‘revolving door' election-history of Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK and the DMK have alternated in power and when the DMK came to power in 1996, several corruption cases were levelled against Ms Jayalalithaa. Today, she stands acquitted in all but one. Not the one to forgive, Ms Jayalalithaa arrested her arch rival, Mr M. Karunanidhi, when she came back to power in 2001.

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