Jayalalithaa's is sentenced to 4 years, will pay a fine of 100 million

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case to the special court in Bangalore convicted. Jayalalithaa's Court sentenced to four years imprisonment. Also on J. Jayalalithaa has imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore. The punishment will not contest elections after 10 years. Chief to resign his assembly membership will be canceled. 18 years later, the court ruled.

For a shell-shocked party, it could take a while to reconcile to the fact that Jayalalithaa will no longer be the face of the government. But, she will continue to hold the reins and influence all major decisions, point out observers. Choosing her replacement would be a crucial task as the party gears up for the assembly elections in 2016. Over the last three years, following the 2011 state election when her party rode to power with more than 150 seats in the 234-strong assembly, Jayalalithaa had consolidated her position. Despite a precarious power situation, the public goodwill born out of a plethora of welfare schemes helped the party put up an impressive performance in the Lok Sabha elections. 

A monolithic organisation, AIADMK has virtually no second rung leader who might challenge Jayalalithaa's authority. Since taking over the party in 1991, the responsibility of keeping it together has been hers. With the legal setback and its impact on her political career, Jayalalithaa has the task of ensuring that the AIADMK remains a key player and a party to reckon with in electoral politics.