Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu have shown that they could rule with an iron hand, without letting political rivals get under their skin.

FORBES: India

Mayawati, Jayalalithaa and Banerjee have suffered even physical assaults by uncouth rivals, a remarkable pattern that reveals how high the odds are stacked against women politicians in India.

FORBES: India

But neither of this state's most powerful politicians - the former film script writer Karunanidhi of the DMK, and the former actress Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK - is actually standing in this election.

BBC: Tamil Nadu: India's kingmaker state