Sasikala is the wife of R Natarajan, who was a public relations officer in the Tamil Nadu government when MG Ramachandran, famous as MGR, was the chief minister of the state. At that time, she ran a video parlour and would occasionally shoot videos at private functions, including marriages. Then Cuddalore district collector, V S Chandralekha, who was close to MGR, got her to meet Jayalalithaa whom MGR was grooming to be a politician and who had been appointed his party's propaganda secretary. After MGR's death in 1987, when Jayalalithaa was sidelined by the party to the extent that she was even thrown from the hearse carrying MGR's body, Sasikala was the one who stood by her working with her on her comeback.

By 1991, when Jayalalithaa became chief minister, Sasikala was her most trusted confidante. She had moved into Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden house in 1989 along with an army of 40 servants that included maids, security guards, drivers and cooks. All of them came from Sasikala's hometown, Mannargudi, in Tiruvarur district. Several of Sasikala's relatives also moved in. Others, like her brother, his wife, nieces and in-laws, became frequent visitors. A 2012 report described her role in Jayalalithaa's life as that of a "soulmate, housekeeper, political confidante. And a tremendous but unelected power centre." If Jayalalithaa was "amma" (mother) to her supporters in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Sasikala was "chinnamma" (little mother). She would be present at Jayalalithaa's meetings with ministers. She would take calls on projects. To reach Jayalalithaa, people would have to go through her.

Sasikala's clout grew. And so did that of her family, which is often referred to as the 'Mannargudi mafia' by her opponents. They amassed wealth and real estate. The 1995 wedding of Sasikala's nephew, V Sudhakaran, was the most ostentatious marriage Chennai had ever seen. The media attention it invited became an issue in the election of 1996 and cost AIADMK all the Lok Sabha seats. Even in the assembly elections, it managed to win just four seats.

Jayalalithaa now distanced herself from Sasikala and her family. In 1996, Sasikala was arrested under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities for alleged illegal foreign exchange transactions. Once out of prison, she managed to patch things with Jayalalithaa.

But the friendship hit a bump again in 2011, shortly after the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK had a sweeping victory in the assembly elections. Jayalalithaa suddenly announced the ouster of Sasikala, her husband and 12 others from the party's primary membership. No reason was given for the action. But reports suggested a suspected 'palace coup' being planned by Sasikala and her family against Jayalalithaa. There were also unconfirmed reports that Jayalalithaa was being given small quantities of sedatives and harmful chemicals to harm her. Some reports say that Narendra Modi too cautioned Jayalalithaa about this coterie around her.

Despite this, Sasikala managed to get back with Jayalalithaa who revoked her expulsion a few months later following an apology. Sasikala also distanced herself from her family. The two would often be seen together.

Now, together again, this time in jail, reports say the one person Jayalalithaa speaks to mainly is Sasikala.

 

 

src:sify.com