After MGR, Jayalalithaa the first to retain power in Tamil Nadu

As Jayalalithaa takes oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu this year, she would be carrying ahead the tradition set by her 'political Guru'.

Written by Adrija Roychowdhury

New Delhi | Updated: May 19, 2016 05:27 PM IST

2 min read

AIADMK General Secretary Jayalalithaa paying floral tribute at former chief minister and party founder MGR’s statue in Chennai. (Source: PTI)

By mid day, the AIADMK is clearly in the driver’s seat in Tamil Nadu for another five years. It is a clear win for Jayalalithaa, giving her a fourth term as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Further, this it the first time since the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M G Ramachandra Menon or MGR in 1987, that a party will return to power for a consecutive second time in Tamil Nadu.

The AIADMK was founded by MGR in 1972 as a breakaway group of the DMK. Using his popularity as a Tamil actor, MGR created a strong political base for himself. He became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 1977 and remained in power for three consecutive terms till his death in 1987.

Also Read: The Jayalalithaa model works: Power to the people and freebies for the poor

Since the death of MGR, the government of Tamil Nadu has been alternating between the DMK, led by Karunanidhi, and the AIADMK, led by Jayalalithaa. This election marks a drastic change in this pattern, with Jaya retaining her seat of victory for a second consecutive term.

MGR the politician portrayed himself as an extension of his screen persona.

For Jayalalithaa, MGR was the one of the most important influences in her life, her political mentor. Arguably, MGR was the one who introduced the actor to a political career, though she has rubbished such reports and claims to have joined politics on her own choice.

As Jayalalithaa takes oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu this year, she would be carrying ahead the tradition set by her ‘political Guru’.

ALSO READ: How Jaya and Mamata bucked the trend

Adrija Roychowdhury

Adrija Roychowdhury leads the research section at Indianexpress.com. She writes long features on history, culture and politics. She uses a unique form of journalism to make academic research available and appealing to a wide audience. She has mastered skills of archival research, conducting interviews with historians and social scientists, oral history interviews and secondary research. During her free time she loves to read, especially historical fiction. ... Read More

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