Jayanthi Natarajan

Infobox_Indian_politician
name = Jayanthi Natarajan


caption =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1954|6|7|df=y
birth_place = Chennai, India
residence = New Delhi
death_date =
death_place =
constituency = Punjab
office =
salary =
term =
predecessor =
successor =
party = Indian National Congress
religion = Hindu
spouse = V.K. Natarajan
children = one son
website =
email =
footnotes =
date = January 26
year = 2007 |
source = http://rajyasabha.nic.in/kiosk/whoswho/alpha_n6.htm

Jayanthi Natarajan (born June 7, 1954) is an Indian lawyer and politician. She is a member of the Indian National Congress and has been thrice elected Member of Parliament representing the state of Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha. She has also been a minister in the Union Cabinet.

Early years

Jayanthi Natarajan was born into a prominent Thondamandala Mudaliar family in Tamil Nadu. Her grandfather was M. Bakthavatsalam, a prominent Congress politician and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu between 1963 and 1967. Jayanthi studied law and became a practising advocate in Madras. Apart from her commercial practice she also did pro bono work for a number of social organizations including the All India Women's Conference, and the legal aid board. [http://rajyasabha.nic.in/kiosk/whoswho/alpha_n6.htm]

Political career

Congress Years

Her political career began when she was noticed by Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s. She was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and relelected in 1992.

Tamil Maanila Congress

During the 90's Jayanthi Natarajan and other leaders from Tamil Nadu who were unhappy with Sitaram Kesri decided to break away from the party. They founded the Tamil Maanila Congress under G K Moopanar. Jayanthi Natarajan resigned from the Rajya Sabha and was reelected in 1997 as a TMC member.

The TMC was allied with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu and was a part of the United Front government in the centre. Jayanthi Natarajan was appointed Minister of State for Coal, Civil Aviation and Parliamentary Affairs in 1997.

Her son is a practising lawyer.

Return to the Congress

With Moopanar's death the TMC leaders decided to merge with the Congress. Jayanthi Natarajan was noticed by Sonia Gandhi and appointed spokesperson for the party.