J. Jayalalithaa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids J. Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa in 2015
5th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
In office 23 May 2015 – 5 December 2016
Governor	Konijeti Rosaiah C. Vidyasagar Rao (Additional Charge)
Cabinet	Jayalalithaa V Jayalalithaa VI
Preceded by	O. Panneerselvam
Succeeded by	O. Panneerselvam
Constituency	Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar
In office 16 May 2011 – 27 September 2014
Governor	Surjit Singh Barnala Konijeti Rosaiah
Cabinet	Jayalalithaa IV
Preceded by	M. Karunanidhi
Succeeded by	O. Panneerselvam
Constituency	Srirangam
In office 2 March 2002 – 12 May 2006
Governor	P. S. Ramamohan Rao Surjit Singh Barnala
Cabinet	Jayalalithaa III
Preceded by	O. Panneerselvam
Succeeded by	M. Karunanidhi
Constituency	Andipatti
In office 14 May 2001 – 21 September 2001
Governor	Fathima Beevi C. Rangarajan
Cabinet	Jayalalithaa II
Preceded by	M. Karunanidhi
Succeeded by	O. Panneerselvam
Constituency	Did not contest
In office 24 June 1991 – 12 May 1996
Governor	Bhishma Narain Singh Marri Chenna Reddy
Cabinet	Jayalalithaa I
Preceded by	President's rule
Succeeded by	M. Karunanidhi
Constituency	Bargur
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 3 April 1984 – 28 January 1989
Leader of the House	Pranab Mukherjee Vishwanath Pratap Singh N. D. Tiwari P. Shiv Shankar
Preceded by	Sathiavani Muthu
Succeeded by	Pasumpon Tha. Kiruttinan
Constituency	Tamil Nadu
9th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office 29 May 2006 – 14 May 2011
Deputy	O. Panneerselvam
Chief Minister	M. Karunanidhi
Preceded by	O. Panneerselvam
Succeeded by	Vijayakant
Constituency	Andipatti
In office 9 February 1989 – 1 December 1989
Deputy	Su. Thirunavukkarasar
Chief Minister	M. Karunanidhi
Preceded by	O. Subramanian
Succeeded by	S. R. Eradha
Constituency	Bodinayakkanur
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office 4 July 2015 – 5 December 2016
Chief Minister	Herself
Preceded by	P. Vetrivel
Succeeded by	T. T. V. Dhinakaran
Constituency	Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar
In office 23 May 2011 – 27 September 2014
Chief Minister	Herself
Preceded by	M. Paranjothi
Succeeded by	S. Valarmathi
Constituency	Srirangam
In office 24 February 2002 – 14 May 2011
Chief Minister	Herself M. Karunanidhi
Preceded by	Thanga Tamil Selvan
Succeeded by	Thanga Tamil Selvan
Constituency	Andipatti
In office 1 July 1991 – 12 May 1996
Chief Minister	Herself
Preceded by	K. R. Rajendran
Succeeded by	E. G. Sugavanam
Constituency	Bargur
In office 1 July 1991 – 23 July 1991
Chief Minister	Herself
Preceded by	P. Marapan
Succeeded by	R. M. Veerappan
Constituency	Kangayam
In office 6 February 1989 – 30 January 1991
Chief Minister	M. Karunanidhi
Preceded by	K. S. M. Ramachandran
Succeeded by	V. Panneerselvam
Constituency	Bodinayakkanur
5th General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office 1 January 1988 – 5 December 2016
Preceded by	M. G. Ramachandran
Succeeded by	Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Propaganda Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office 5 September 1985 – 31 December 1987
General Secretary	S. Raghavanandam M. G. Ramachandran
In office 28 January 1983 – 20 August 1984
Party President	M. G. Ramachandran
General Secretary	P. U. Shanmugam
Preceded by	R. Manimaran
Personal details
Born	(1948-02-24)24 February 1948 Melukote, Mysore State, Dominion of India (present-day Karnataka, India)
Died	5 December 2016(2016-12-05) (aged 68) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Cause of death	Cardiac arrest
Resting place	M.G.R. and Amma Memorial
Political party	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Relatives	Deepa Jayakumar (niece)
Residences	Veda Nilayam, 81, Poes Garden, Teynampet, Chennai – 600086, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma mater	Bishop Cotton Girls' School Church Park Presentation Convent Stella Maris College, Chennai
Profession	Film actress classical dancer singer writer politician philanthropist
Awards	Kalaimamani (1972)
Signature
Nicknames	Amma Puratchi Thalaivi Kalai Selvi
Makkalaal Naan Makkalukaagavae Naan ("I am by the people for the people")

Jayaram Jayalalithaa (born February 24, 1948 – died December 5, 2016) was a famous Indian politician and actress. She served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a state in India, for over 14 years across six terms between 1991 and 2016. People often called her "Amma" (Mother) or "Puratchi Thalaivi" (Revolutionary leader). She was also the leader of a big political party called AIADMK for a long time.

Before becoming a politician, Jayalalithaa was a very popular film actress in the 1960s. She acted in over 140 movies, mostly in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada languages. She was known for her amazing acting and dancing, earning her the nickname "Queen of Tamil Cinema." She started acting to help her family.

In 1982, she joined the AIADMK party, which was founded by her frequent co-star, M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.). He was the Chief Minister at the time. Jayalalithaa quickly rose in politics. She became the party's propaganda secretary and was elected to the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of India's Parliament. After M.G.R. passed away in 1987, Jayalalithaa became the main leader of the AIADMK. In 1989, she became the first woman to be the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

In 1991, Jayalalithaa became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time. She was the youngest person to hold this position. During her time, she started the "cradle-baby scheme," which helped mothers give up their newborns for adoption safely. After losing power in 1996, she returned as Chief Minister in 2001. She was known for her strong leadership. Her government also launched many social welfare programs, like "Amma" branded goods, which included canteens, bottled water, and salt at low prices.

Jayalalithaa made history in 2016 by being the first Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu since M.G.R. in 1984 to be re-elected for a second term in a row. Sadly, she became very ill in September 2016 and passed away on December 5, 2016. She was the first female Chief Minister in India to die while still in office.

Early Life and Education

Jayalalithaa was born on February 24, 1948, in Melukote, which is now in Karnataka, India. Her parents were Jayaram and Vedavalli. She had one brother named Jayakumar.

Her father was a lawyer but passed away when Jayalalithaa was only two years old. Her mother, Vedavalli, then moved to Bengaluru and later to Chennai to work as an actress to support the family. Jayalalithaa lived with her aunt and grandparents for some years.

She attended Bishop Cotton Girls' School in Bangalore and later Sacred Heart Matriculation School in Chennai. She was an excellent student and even won a Gold State Award for being first in her 10th standard exams in Tamil Nadu. She started college at Stella Maris College, Chennai, but had to stop her studies to become a film actress due to family needs.

Jayalalithaa was very good at many languages. She could speak Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, and English. She even spoke Kannada with Chief Ministers from Karnataka.

Film Career

Jayalalithaa in Gandikota Rahasyam Movie – 1969

Becoming a Star

In Chennai, Jayalalithaa learned many classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. She also learned Carnatic music and piano. She was a very talented dancer. Her first dance performance was in May 1960. A famous actor, Shivaji Ganesan, was the chief guest and called her a "golden statue," wishing her a future in films.

She first acted as a child in a Kannada film called Sri Shaila Mahathme (1961). She also had a small dance role in the Hindi film Man-Mauji (1962). While still in school, she started acting in plays with her mother.

Her first main role as an actress was in the Kannada film Chinnada Gombe (1964) when she was 15. This movie was a huge hit. Her first Tamil film as a lead actress was Vennira Aadai (1965). She was the first heroine in Tamil films to wear skirts.

Working with M.G.R. and Other Actors

Jayalalithaa starred in 28 hit films with M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.) between 1965 and 1973. Their first film together was Aayirathil Oruvan in 1965. She also acted in one Hindi film, Izzat, with Dharmendra in 1968.

She was a very busy actress, having 11 successful Tamil films released in 1966 alone. She was given the title "Kavarchi Kanni" (Charming Maiden) in film credits. She also acted with other popular actors like N. T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao in Telugu films.

Jayalalithaa was known for taking on strong female roles where the story revolved around her character. She was given the title "Kaveri Thandha Kalai Selvi" (Artistic Daughter given by Kaveri) in 1969 for her versatile acting.

She was one of the highest-paid Indian actresses from 1965 to 1980. She acted in 119 hit movies out of 125 films as a main female lead. Her last film as a heroine was Nayakudu Vinayakudu in Telugu in 1980.

Writing and Other Interests

Jayalalithaa also wrote columns and short stories for magazines. She wrote about her own life in a series for a Tamil weekly magazine. She decided to stop acting in films in 1980 to pursue other interests.

She was good friends with many people in the film industry. She often said that she entered films because her mother asked her to, and she entered politics because M.G.R. asked her to.

Political Journey

Joining Politics with M.G.R.

Jayalalithaa at a public meeting in the 1980s

Jayalalithaa joined the AIADMK party on June 4, 1982. Her first public speech, titled "The Greatness of a Woman," was very well received. Even the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was impressed by her speech.

In 1983, she became the propaganda secretary for the party. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha (Parliament's upper house) in 1984. She was known for her excellent English speeches in Parliament. When M.G.R. became ill in 1984, she campaigned strongly for the party in the elections.

After M.G.R.'s death in 1987, the AIADMK party split into two groups. Jayalalithaa led one group and was elected as the party's general secretary in 1988. In 1989, the two groups of AIADMK reunited, and Jayalalithaa became the accepted leader.

First Term as Chief Minister (1991–1996)

In 1991, Jayalalithaa became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time. She was the youngest Chief Minister of the state. She served a full term until 1996.

• Water Dispute Resolution: In 1993, she went on a hunger strike to demand that Karnataka release Kaveri river water for farmers. She ended her fast only after the Prime Minister promised to set up committees to solve the water dispute.
• Protecting Reservations: In 1993, her government passed a law to protect 69% reservation for certain communities in Tamil Nadu. She worked hard to make sure this law was added to the Indian Constitution, so it could not be easily challenged. This earned her the title "The leader who upheld Social justice."
• Welfare Schemes: In 1994, Mother Teresa praised Jayalalithaa for her welfare projects for girls and women, including the "Cradle Baby Scheme."
• Economic Growth: She invited big companies like Ford Motor Company to set up businesses in Tamil Nadu in 1995. This led to many other car companies coming to the state, making Chennai known as the "Detroit of India."

Return to Power and Social Welfare (2001–2006)

The AIADMK party returned to power in 2001. Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister again.

• Women Police Commandos: In 2003, India's first company of female police commandos was formed in Tamil Nadu under her leadership. They received the same tough training as male commandos.
• Lottery Ban: Her government banned the sale of all lotteries in the state in 2003 to help people.
• Solving Water Problems: She started a rainwater harvesting scheme in 2001 to improve groundwater levels. This idea was later used by other states. She also started the Veeranam project to bring water to Chennai.
• Tsunami Relief: After the devastating tsunami in 2004, Jayalalithaa's government quickly provided relief and support to affected families. She announced a large relief package and ensured quick recovery efforts.

Leader of the Opposition (2006–2011)

In the 2006 elections, her party lost power, and she became the Leader of the Opposition again. She continued to speak out against the government on important issues like rising prices. She held large public rallies to protest against inflation.

Fourth Term as Chief Minister (2011–2014)

Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister for the fourth time in 2011 after her party won a huge victory.

• "Amma" Schemes: Her government launched many popular "Amma" branded schemes. These included:
  • Amma Canteens: Subsidized food at very low prices, praised by economists.
  • Amma Bottled Water: Affordable drinking water.
  • Amma Salt, Medical Shops, and Cement: Essential goods and services at lower costs.
  • Amma Baby Care Kit: A kit with 16 types of products for new mothers in government hospitals.
• Education and Welfare: Her government gave free laptops to students, and provided cows, goats, mixers, grinders, and fans to families below the poverty line. They also offered marriage assistance with gold and cash for female students.
• Power Supply: She worked to fix electricity problems, making Tamil Nadu a state with surplus power.
• Vision 2023: In 2012, she introduced a plan called Vision 2023 to develop infrastructure and improve the quality of life in Tamil Nadu.
• Water Rights: Her efforts in the Supreme Court helped Tamil Nadu increase the water storage level in the Mullaperiyar Dam and get its fair share of Kaveri River water.

Fifth Term as Chief Minister (2015–2016)

Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fifth time in May 2015.

• Health Schemes: She launched "Amma Master Health Checkup" and "Amma Arogya" plans, offering affordable health checkups and tests in government hospitals.
• Free Bus Rides: In 2016, she started a free bus ride scheme for senior citizens.
• Investments: Her government attracted huge investments to the state, bringing in billions of dollars in foreign direct investment.
• Women's Reservation: In 2016, her government increased the reservation for women in local government bodies from 33% to 50%.

Sixth Term as Chief Minister (2016)

In the 2016 elections, Jayalalithaa made history again by being re-elected as Chief Minister. Her campaign slogan was "I'm of the people, and I'm for the people." She was the first leader in Tamil Nadu to serve consecutive terms since M.G.R.

Within 100 days of her new term, her government:

• Cancelled outstanding crop loans for farmers.
• Provided free electricity for households and weavers.
• Closed many liquor shops.
• Increased pensions for freedom fighters.
• Inaugurated new Chennai Metro rail lines.

Illness and Passing

On September 22, 2016, Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai due to an infection. Her duties were temporarily given to another minister, O. Panneerselvam. She was on life support after suffering a cardiac arrest on December 4, 2016. Sadly, she passed away on December 5, 2016. She was buried at the MGR Memorial on Marina Beach in Chennai, near her mentor M.G.R.

Jayalalithaa's Memorial

Jayalalithaa's burial site and memorial

Her home in Poes Garden, Chennai, was later acquired by the government to be turned into a memorial. A new memorial shaped like a phoenix was built for her at a cost of ₹500 million. It was opened on January 27, 2021.

Elections and Positions

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Elections

Positions in Parliament of India

Positions in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

Awards and Recognitions

• In 1972, she received the Kalaimamani award from the Government of Tamil Nadu.
• She received several Honorary Doctorates from universities in 1991, 1992, 1993, and two in 2003.
• In 2004, she was honored with the "Woman Politician of the Decade Award" in London.
• Also in 2004, she received the "Golden Star of Honor and Dignity Award" from a human rights committee in Ukraine. Only a few world leaders had received this award before her.
• In 2018, the Tamil Nadu Fisheries University was renamed the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University in her honor.
• In 2019, the Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University was renamed the The Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University.
• In 2020, the CMBT Metro Station in Chennai was renamed Puratchi Thalaivi Dr. J. Jayalalithaa CMBT Metro to honor her.

Writings and Books

Jayalalithaa was also a writer. She wrote:

• 4 full-length novels, including Uravin Kaidigal and Nenjile Oru Kanal.
• Columns for magazines like Bommai and Thuglak.
• Short stories for Kalki and Thaai magazines.
• A book called Manadhai Thotta Malargal, which was a collection of her columns about her favorite things.

Other Interests

Jayalalithaa enjoyed many hobbies. She loved reading, classical music, and Western music. She also played the piano. For sports, she enjoyed swimming, cricket, tennis, basketball, chess, athletics, and horse-riding.

She was a big fan of cricket and became the first independent woman member of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association in 1973–74.

Favorite Books

Jayalalithaa was a keen reader from a young age.

• As a child, she read Rajaji's versions of the Mahabharata and Ramayana.
• She also enjoyed children's authors like Hans Christian Andersen, Grimms, and Enid Blyton.
• Later, she read novels by authors like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and Sidney Sheldon.
• She liked books on history, geography, science, philosophy, and law.

Images for kids

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  Puratchi Thalaivar M.G.R. Maaligai

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  Jayalalithaa at the funeral procession of MGR on 25 December 1987

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  1980s

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  1991s

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  1994s

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  2000s

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  2001s

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  2006s

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  2011s

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  2014s

See also

In Spanish: Jayalalithaa para niños