The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa passed away on Monday, breathing her last at 11.30 pm. She had been undergoing treatment since September 22 at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai and suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, triggering fresh fears among her ardent supporters about the gravity of her condition.

Jayalalithaa forayed into politics in 1982 by joining the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which was founded by the iconic MG Ramachandran.

As Jayalalithaa, the face of the AIADMK, swayed immense power over the party, most party cadres are clueless about their future course of action. It was the former Chief Minister who was the sole decision-making authority in the party. The rest of the party members is her followers. Even the just sworn-in Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who always did what Amma wanted him to do.

DMK Member of Parliaments added that a vacuum has been created in AIADMK after Amma – Jayalalithaa is fondly called in Tamil Nadu – being no more.