Armed with the Cauvery tribunal verdict notification and a slew of populist measures ahead of the election year, the Jayalalithaa Government in Tamil Nadu enters its third year in office on May 16 with the AIADMK supremo setting her sights on a bigger role at the Centre.
Getting the 2007 final award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal that grants major share of the inter-state river water to Tamil Nadu notified in the Central gazette is seen as one of the most defining moments of Jayalalithaa's career.
On a direction from Supreme Court, the Centre in February notified the award which apportioned Cauvery water among four riparian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala.
The AIADMK supremo led her party to victory in all three by-elections after 2011 braving the biggest challenge of power shortage, a plank on which she rode to power decimating arch-rival DMK in the assembly elections two years ago.
The charismatic leader has made it clear that AIADMK will forge electoral alliance neither with Congress nor BJP for the coming lok Sabha polls.Making no secret of her ambitions to have a larger say at the Centre, she has inspired her partymen to work for netting all the 40 lok Sabha seats (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry) setting off growing "Jaya for PM" calls in AIADMK.
For Jayalalithaa, it was always hard bargaining with the UPA Government, of which the DMK remained a component till it pulled out recently over the Sri lankan Tamils issue.
She shot off letters to the Prime Minister on various issues ranging from kerosene quota to rice allocation to power and Sri lankan Tamils and attacks on fishermen.
Power shortage continues to haunt the government with thepeople across the state, barring Chennai, enduring power cuts running into more than ten hours a day, an issue which the opposition parties are seeking to capitalise on.
Though Jayalalithaa has been blaming the previous DMK regime for lack of foresight to augment power generation, its chief M Karunanidhi has rejected the charges.
However, a slew of projects are up and running and the government has expressed confidence that it will tide over the crisis by early 2014.However, with the opposition fragmented the government has not encountered any major agitation, barring those on the Sri lankan Tamils issue. But it was the DMK which faced criticism for the plight of Tamils in the island as it was part of the UPA at the height of the trouble.
Slamming the Centre for its 'neglect' of the rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen, facing recurring attacks allegedly by Sri lankan Navy, Jayalalithaa has taken up the issue of retrieval of Katchtheevu, an islet in the Palk Strait ceded to Sri lanka by India in 1976.
Tackling drought has also been on the focus of the government in recent months. Despite repeated requests, Centre has remained mum on Jayalalithaa's pleas for more funds. However, the state government has come up with its own drought-relief assistance package.
By declaring her resolve to deal firmly with violence with casteist undertones in the backdrop of recent violent incidents allegedly by PMK workers, political observers say that the Chief Minister has reaffirmed her commitment for upholding law and order.
The 65 year-old leader, who has been implementing several pro-people schemes, include providing free rice and laptops to students, came up with yet another innovative scheme to tackle the price rise situation by launching low-cost canteens.
The 'Amma' canteens that serve an idli for Re one and sambar rice at Rs five have been a huge hit in the state capital, as floating population and proletarians could get good meals at affordable price.
On the industrial scene, Jayalalithaa unveiled 'Vision 2023,' an ambitious scheme expected to bring more industries and better infrastructure to the state, alreay home to large number of auto majors and other investors.