Assembly Elections 2016: Warrior Queens

Amma and Didi remain formidable forces in their states. Should they buck anti-incumbency, Modi and the BJP will have reason to worry, even if they win Assam and open an account in Kerala.

- Ajit Kumar Jha

One leads the third-largest political party in India, with 37 MPs; the other presides over the country’s fourth-largest political formation, with an almost equal number of MPs: 35. Both entered Parliament in 1984, the former via the Rajya Sabha, the latter through the Lok Sabha. Both are single women in their 60s, and dubbed mercurial and authoritarian, but in reality unusually gifted and charismatic. Born in modest but respectable Brahmin families, one topped the Class X exams in Tamil Nadu and later starred in 140 southern films; the other studied law, education and history, and dabbles in poetry and painting.

Entering politics when still young, the duo has battled patriarchy and upper-class hegemony that dominates and often throttles Indian politics. Neither is a staunch feminist, but both are made of a mettle the feminist movement would be proud of. Both are fiercely independent, both have cracked the glass ceiling: one revamped a fledgling political party, the other created a new one after challenging and quitting her parent political party. Today, the two women are the supremos of their respective parties and chief ministers of the two states scheduled to go for polls this April-May. One is fondly called Amma (mother), the other, Didi (elder sister). Meet the iron maidens of Indian politics: J. Jayalalithaa, CM of Tamil Nadu, and Mamata Banerjee, CM of West Bengal.