One of the most controversial and enigmatic politicians in the country, the temperamental Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is aptly dubbed as 'Tamil Tigress' or the 'Queen of Tamil politics'.
Her AIADMK is now an ally of the BJP, but, experts say, it is not without something in return, which has not yet revealed. In the past, whenever she extended support to any party, she demanded and got a hefty price for that.
When she pulled down Vajpayee Government in 1999, BJP accused her of being a mercenary and fought next Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu as an ally of DMK, but now she is back with BJP, though only as an outside supporter. Of course, there are no permanent friends and foes in politics.
For years now, the political contests in Tamil Nadu have always been Jaya vs the rest. Her arch rival DMK chief M Karunanidhi is continuously fighting the election on a referendum of 'misrule' by the Jayalalitha Government.
Before elections where announced, Jaya had been flirting with the idea of going for it alone, hoping for a third front to come about as in 1996. But Karunanidhi's decision to unhitch the DMK from the NDA to re-establish his secular credentials axed that plan.
The prospect of anti-AIADMK votes consolidating behind DMK forced Jaya to ally with the BJP is quite clear. She now hopes to neutralise the Opposition's arithmetical advantage with Vajpayee's 'feel good factor'.
As she has to fight the BJP's battle and peddle the 'Sonia-a foreigner' line in the state, the BJP is content with a paltry seven seats.
Her problem is that barring the MDMK, the rest of Karunanidhi's present allies had fought the 2001 assembly elections alongside her. To undermine the damage, she may once again try to switch sides if the BJP-led NDA is not in a position to form the government. She is one of those chief ministers who need a friendly government in Delhi so that the heat of the court cases against her remains deflected.
However, she knows that a Congress Government could be deterimental to her interests.
