Sasikalaa: From shop owner to Tamil Nadu game changer
During Jaya's first tenure as CM during 1991-96, Sasikalaa gained prominence both within the Poes Garden-household and the AIADMK, much to the chagrin of the MGR coterie and Jayalalithaa erstwhile aides.
By TNN | Updated:
CHENNAI: Sasikalaa Natarajan was a non-entity before she came into AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa's life. Her husband was instrumental in introducing Sasikalaa to Jayalalithaa in the early 1980s, after which the relationship between the two turned into strong friendship that influenced both party and administrative affairs.
During Jaya's first tenure as CM during 1991-96, Sasikalaa gained prominence both within the Poes Garden-household and the AIADMK, much to the chagrin of the MGR coterie and Jayalalithaa erstwhile aides.
Eventually, the high-school drop-out, described as an extra-constitutional power by detractors, became the sole channel of communication and access to Jayalalithaa, playing a key role in the day-to-day running of the party and also influencing decisions, mostly relating to appointments of officials in the state administration. If the fireworks and celebrations following news of her exit on Monday is an indication it will be a while before Sasikalaa regains her influence.
For Sasikalaa, it has been a long journey from a small-time video cassette lending shop owner to a position of power and influence in 36, Poes Garden. Sasikalaa's growing clout was evident in the manner in which she placed close family members in key party positions and business enterprises with party links. Jaya's move to adopt Sasikalaa's nephew V N Sudhakaran only reinforced their closeness.
Jayalalithaa first met Sasikalaa in 1982 when as AIADMK's propaganda secretary she had gone to Cuddalore in north Tamil Nadu to address a public meeting. Then district collector, V S Chandralekha, now with the Janata Party, introduced her to Jayalalithaa at the behest of her (Sasikalaa's) husband Natarajan, who was the district PRO then. Sasikalaa was managing a video parlour at Alwarpet in Chennai and soon Jayalalithaa became her customer. Distanced from her own family members, that included a brother, Jayalalithaa's friendship with Sasikalaa grew over time. Soon Sasikalaa shifted out of her one-bed-room apartment to Jayalalithaa's bungalow.
During Jaya's first tenure as CM during 1991-96, Sasikalaa gained prominence both within the Poes Garden-household and the AIADMK, much to the chagrin of the MGR coterie and Jayalalithaa erstwhile aides.
Eventually, the high-school drop-out, described as an extra-constitutional power by detractors, became the sole channel of communication and access to Jayalalithaa, playing a key role in the day-to-day running of the party and also influencing decisions, mostly relating to appointments of officials in the state administration. If the fireworks and celebrations following news of her exit on Monday is an indication it will be a while before Sasikalaa regains her influence.
For Sasikalaa, it has been a long journey from a small-time video cassette lending shop owner to a position of power and influence in 36, Poes Garden. Sasikalaa's growing clout was evident in the manner in which she placed close family members in key party positions and business enterprises with party links. Jaya's move to adopt Sasikalaa's nephew V N Sudhakaran only reinforced their closeness.
Jayalalithaa first met Sasikalaa in 1982 when as AIADMK's propaganda secretary she had gone to Cuddalore in north Tamil Nadu to address a public meeting. Then district collector, V S Chandralekha, now with the Janata Party, introduced her to Jayalalithaa at the behest of her (Sasikalaa's) husband Natarajan, who was the district PRO then. Sasikalaa was managing a video parlour at Alwarpet in Chennai and soon Jayalalithaa became her customer. Distanced from her own family members, that included a brother, Jayalalithaa's friendship with Sasikalaa grew over time. Soon Sasikalaa shifted out of her one-bed-room apartment to Jayalalithaa's bungalow.
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Referred to as 'Chinna Amma', Sasikalaa's writ ran large, covering the party and the state administration whenever the AIADMK won office. Key party appointments and even postings of senior bureaucrats besides ministerial nominees were influenced by Sasikalaa and her family members. Their dominance was so significant that at one stage there were strong suggestions that Jayalalithaa might even groom one of Sasikalaa's several nephews as her successor.Download
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