The outgoing Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, is one of India’s most colourful and controversial politicians. A former actress, her career has been marked by a series of high and lows.

In most cases the lows have been followed by dramatic political comebacks in which she has been re-instated as Tamil Nadu chief minister.

She has also been feted over the last 10 years by various Indian prime ministers requiring her political support to remain in power.

Her admirers say she has played a key role in the development of the state of Tamil Nadu as one of India’s most economically influential states.

But the 58-year-old has throughout her political career of nearly two decades been accused of “acquiring wealth beyond her known means of income” and has briefly spent time in prison prior to her conviction for corruption in October 2000.

The allegations made against her over the years have been extensive – from arranging for her opponents to be beaten up to spending large amounts of taxpayers’ money for lavish wedding ceremonies.

Some of these allegations over the years have veered towards the outlandish: on one occasion she was accused of losing her temper with her auditor and assaulting him.

Jayalalitha first came to political prominence in the late 1980s, although she was well known as an actress before then, starring in over 100 films.

Naturally charismatic, she was brought into politics by a former Tamil movie star and state chief minister, MG Ramachandran, with whom she starred in many of her films.

Personality cult

Three years after his death in 1988, she took over his All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Khazagham (AIADMK) party as well as the state, and proved equally adept at galvanising the support of the rural poor.

Ever since then, her detractors have accused her of creating a personality cult.

Stories about her extravagance are legendary, and many of her worshipping followers are known to profess their loyalty through bizarre acts such as walking on hot coals or drawing her portrait with their blood.

During the various times she has served as Tamil Nadu chief minister, huge cut-outs of her figure have dominated the Madras skyline.

Her ministers have on occasions been reported to prostrate themselves at her feet.

During one raid on her premises following a corruption allegation, police said that they found large quantities of diamond-studded gold jewellery, more than 10,000 saris and 750 shoes.

Jayalalitha’s critics paint her as a deeply corrupt figure who has manipulated the system and sees herself as above the law.

In the 1990s, she attracted international attention for the lavish wedding she organised for her foster son, alleged to have cost many millions of dollars.

Throughout her political career, she has been in and out of court, either to defend herself against corruption allegations or to assert her right to exercise political power because of these allegations.

Her career has also been characterised by her long running political rivalry with 83-year old Karunanidhi, from the DMK party which won the lion’s share of the seats in May’s Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

The two have succeeded one another in an out of power for much of the last two decades, and commentators say that trend is more than likely to continue.

The results are not the first political setback experienced by Jayalalitha, and judging by her past performances, she will not take the latest defeat lying down.