Chennai:
It was on Mother's Day that AIADMK chief Jayanthi Jayalalithaa last tasted electoral victory. That prompted the actor-turned-politician to quip ten years ago, "I'd like to be a mother to the people of Tamil Nadu."
The victory sign, that also signifies her party's two leaves symbol, has come after one of the toughest electoral battles in the state.
Jayalalithaa is a comeback queen who can never be written off considering her series of setbacks: A complete washout in the 2004 Lok Sabha poll; a defeat in the last Assembly election in 2006; and efforts to play king maker at the Centre that came a cropper in 2009. But now, her time has come.
From the camera lights, to the heat and dust of politics, Jayalalithaa's life script has been full of ups and downs. First it was taking control of the AIADMK from the wife of her mentor, MGR, after his death.
Then, a slew of corruption cases filed against her by the DMK and a wealth case that is still pending in a Bangalore Court.
"I am not corrupt. False cases have been foisted on me. I have been acquitted in all the cases," she said while responding to those charges.
Ms Jayalalithaa's first tenure from 1991 to 96 was marked by a personality cult and sycophancy - from giant size cut outs to followers falling at her feet. And images of an ostentatious wedding of her foster son were played repeatedly by Sun TV before the 1996 election.
But during her second innings as Chief Minister, there were landmark achievements like the killing of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan who had challenged both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for decades.
Her other achievements include:
- The handling of relief and rehabilitation post the tsunami.
- The cradle baby and rain water harvesting schemes
But the iron hand surfaced when she ordered the sensational midnight arrest of DMK chief M Karunanidhi and sacked over a lakh striking government employees.
Although deeply religious herself, the AIADMK supremo didn't hesitate to order the arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharyas in a murder case.
She even enacted a controversial law banning conversions. This sparked protests from Christians.
But she has reached out to the community in the election, promising government aid for pilgrimages to Israel.
The DMK tried hard to do an encore with its manifesto; billed as the heroine of the election, wooing women with mixers and grinders. But the real screen heroine-turned-politician beat the veteran script writer Karunanidhi at his own game with a bigger hamper of freebies. And an even bigger quiver of arrows against her arch rival.
But Ms Jayalalithaa has not merely given the DMK a power cut. She has also pushed the Karunanidhi camp to a slippery slope with its ally at the Centre - the Congress. It will be interesting to see if Amma's two leaves turn into an olive branch to 10 Janpath.