NEW DELHI - The death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram is a serious setback for her party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which won elections earlier this year solely on her popularity.
Known affectionately as Amma or mother, Ms Jayalalithaa was India's most powerful and popular regional leader.
She returned to power after winning the assembly elections in which AIADMK won 134 of 232 assembly seats and was sworn in for a sixth time as chief minister. She also has the third largest representation in the Lower House of the national Parliament in New Delhi with 37 MPs after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition Congress.
Analysts said that the death of Ms Jayalalithaa meant the loss of AIADMK's only charismatic leader and they did not rule out possible infighting within the party down the line.
In a sign of her continuing dominance within the party even after her death, Mr O. Panneerselvam who was sworn in as chief minister early on Tuesday, kept a picture of Ms Jayalalithaa in his shirt pocket for the swearing in ceremony.
Tributes have also flowed in from India's top political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in a series of tweets expressed his sorrow.
"Deeply saddened at the passing away of Selvi Jayalalithaa. Her demise has left a huge void in Indian politics," he tweeted.
Mr Modi flew down for the funeral.
Known to share a good rapport with her, he also tweeted, "I will always cherish the innumerable occasions when I had the opportunity to interact with Jayalalithaa ji. May her soul rest in peace."
Ms Jayalalithaa rose to power in a political environment dominated by men.
The former film star joined politics in her 30s and was mentored by popular Tamil politician M. G. Ramachandran. Upon his death, she fought with his widow and successfully wrested control of AIADMK.
Eloquent and sharp, Ms Jayalalithaa was also known for her quirks. She was often criticised for encouraging sycophancy and faced graft allegations.
Still, the Tamil Nadu chief minister attracted undying loyalty from her supporters with her popularity in recent years soaring on the back of welfare schemes, including providing affordable cooked food to Tamil Nadu's poor.
In death, even her harshest critics noted their admiration for the politician.
"She was an iconic & courageous leader. This is an irreparable loss to the people of Tamil Nadu,'' tweeted M. K. Stalin of rival party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
