While Jayalalithaa’s public profile, first as a blockbuster actress and then as a popular politician, made her a subject of intense scrutiny with little of what happened in her life escaping people’s attention, there was another side to ‘Amma’ that was lesser known.
Here we present 5 things about Jayalalithaa that most people may not know
Took Re 1 as salary
Jayalalithaa reportedly refused to accept a salary cheque during her first term as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, only charging the taxpayer a token fee of Re 1 for her service to the people.
Hosted a lavish wedding that featured in the Guinness Book of World Records
The wedding that Jayalalithaa hosted for her adopted son Sudhakaran in 1995 was so extravagant that it made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. According to reports, around 1,50,000 people were invited for the wedding and it costed Amma Rs 10 crore.
Chief minister without a portfolio
While Jayalalithaa was the chief minister on paper, it was her trusted aide and the new CM of Tamil Nadu O.Paanneerselvam who handled all the responsibilities of the office. She was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu without a portfolio. O.Panneerselvam was handling all the portfolios.
Record for CM in Tamil Nadu politics
Jayalalithaa was the only chief minister in the history of Tamil Nadu politics who was elected for two consecutive terms, accomplishing the feat in 2016.
First woman leader of Opposition in the state assembly
The death of her mentor MGR affected Jayalalithaa’s prospects in state politics briefly, before she bounced back to become the first woman leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly.
