The meteoric rise and abysmal fall of Jayalalithaa should be a lesson to many politicians in India. Jayalalithaa who had always been considered as a reluctant entrant into Tamil Nadu politics but because of the legendary actor turned politician MG Ramachandran proved after certain point that she is a force to reckon with in the Tamil Nadu politics. Her first tenure of 1991 to 1996 showed probably the true image of Jayalalithaa which had gone into the huge cloud of corruption and undue favoritism in politics and as a result voted out of power. Today, after 18 long years, the arms of justice had crushed her and punished her and her corrupt coterie with a severe punishment that could be the end of Jayalalithaa’s political career.

It is, in fact, unfortunate that Jayalalithaa with all her quality education, royal family background, multifaceted talents and linguistic abilities failed to prove that she is a shrewd politician. Her biggest weak point is her elephantine ego and despicable hubris. She always preferred to be at loggerheads with almost every leader of other parties whether it is national or regional. She can never listen or be loyal to anyone except the friendship of hers with a novice Sasikala (that too had its ‘on’ and ‘off’s) which ultimately had brought her this huge ignominy of losing her power, name and position today.

Jayalalithaa, though considered herself to be too intelligent for a politician never shared any cordial rapport with any of the national leaders or parties. Earlier, when she had alliance with the Congress after Rajiv’s assassination, she left Sonia Gandhi high and dry during electioneering and never even apologized. Later, after promising support for Vajpayee’s government she did not send the letter and made the government topple. She exhibited least regard for any of her contemporary leaders. Even her friendships and encounters with industrialists, educationalists or litterateurs are transitory and unpredictable. If she considers DMK chief Karunanidhi and his family as her ‘arch rivals’ others as ‘rivals’. The difference is only ‘that’.

For someone who had been blessed with three tenures of chief minister, her dragging legal battles seemed to have made no impact on her behavior or attitude. She had almost antagonized the entire press in Tamil Nadu and there is not a single vernacular or newspaper she had not sued for deformation.

Her policies and promises are many times range from ridiculous to impossible. Her ministers behave like vassals and felt no shame in singing (literally) paeans in the assembly or parliament. She unabashedly fanned the parochial feeling among the Tamils with her stand on Srilankan Issues and Hindi influence. She hardly has any political friends in the neighboring states like Andhra, Kerala or Karnataka. She never misses even the slightest opportunity to lambast them but never extended any friendly hand at any point of time.

She seemed to show a trace of camaraderie with Narendra Modi some time back but she quickly turned around before the recent hustings and started criticizing him strongly by screaming during electioneering by extending false figures on industrial development in Tamil Nadu comparing them to Gujarat and questioning the public ‘Who is better, Modi or this Lady(self!)’ and shouted ‘Make them lose their deposits’.

It may be a fact that she is a loner and her personal life might have had several setbacks. But, do they justify her being highly corrupt and highhanded? Her recent popularity among Tamil is because of the notoriety earned by her political rival DMK through family politics and 2G Scam and the endless freebies she keeps reeling off in recent times with a tag of ‘Amma’. Even before the ominous day of her verdict she introduced ‘Amma Cement’ which is supposed to cost lesser.

Today she enjoys the maximum support from the public of Tamil Nadu for different reasons. This was evident in the recent Lok Sabha election results. Probably, now she may engage a lawyer who can bail her out from the conviction with his expertise. Further, she is a strong believer of God and that may work in her favor. Still, the truth is now that she has been convicted and behind the bars. It can be argued that these are common as for as Indian Politics is concerned.

Jayalalithaa may come back as a phoenix or may not; but one thing is very sure. Notwithstanding her talents, Jayalalithaa seems to have learnt little from her tumultuous political journey; assuming if she is likely to learn in future, it may, perhaps, be too late.