AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa Jeyaram has been sentenced for four years in prison after being convicted guilty under Prevention of Corruption Act for possessing unaccounted assets. She automatically lost her seat in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and as a result lost the Chief Minister position as well.

The legal process pertaining to the charges of misappropriation of assets took 18 years to be completed. In 1996, Dr. Subramanian Swamy filed a case against Jayalalithaa on alleged misappropriation of assets. In 1997, the court filed charge sheets against Jayalalithaa and her friend Sasikala, the foster son V.N. Sudhakaran and sister-in-law of Sasikala, J Ilavarasi.

Joining the AIADMK in 1982, Jayalalithaa rose in the ranks through her personal friendship with M.G. Ramachandran, the founding leader of the party. Following the death of MGR she won a power struggle with his widow to rise as the leader of the party. In 1991, she was selected as the Chiefe Minister for the first time.

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Allegations of corruption rose against her especially after the mega wedding banquet for her adopted son when he married the grand-daughter of Shivaji Ganesan in 1995.

The AIADMK has been left in crisis as there is no second in command in the party. Jayalalithaa has not named a deputy. Her supporters were confident of her coming out of the courts cleared of all charges.