A file picture of the late Jayalalithaa with her close aide VK Sasikala. Jaya referred to her as someone who took care of her like a mother. Pic/PTI

While I was in Chennai for four years as a newspaper editor-in-chief, I had never heard of VK Sasikala being referred to as the late Jayalalithaa’s maid. Until recently. My sister-in-law and her husband arrived from Guwahati (for a family member’s health crisis) and they asked me if Sasikala was really once Jayalalithaa’s maid. I took this to be another nasty rumour spread by our Great Leader. It started during Jayalalithaa’s long hospital stay last year and gained momentum when Sasikala took over after Jayalalithaa’s death as the AIADMK’s general secretary. It became a talking point when she decided to be the next Tamil Nadu chief minister, and became useful propaganda when acting CM O Panneerselvam indicated he would not easily give up the top job.