Jayalalithaa passes away after a cardiac arrest

J Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and one of India's most powerful and popular politicians, died in a Chennai hospital, nearly three months after she was admitted there. She was 68.

Jayalalithaa had a cardiac arrest last evening and was rushed back to the Intensive Care Unit or ICU, reports NDTV.

"Our beloved leader, The Iron Lady of India Puratchi Thalaivi Amma is no more," her party AIADMK said in a tweet.

Popularly known as "Amma", or "Mother", in the Tamil language Jayalalithaa was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu state, home to major auto firms and IT off-shoring services.

She was 68. She had a cardiac arrest on Sunday night, the Apollo Hospital in Chennai said, her condition deteriorating sharply after her admission with a severe respiratory ailment in September.

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