Over a month after she took charge as AIADMK General Secretary following Jayalalithaa’s demise, V K Sasikala Natarajan was on Monday elected legislature party leader. The move paved the way for her to become the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s closest friend and most trusted lieutenant, lived with her for 25 years till her death in December last year. She ran things from the background for decades and is now all set to take the party’s rein from O Paneerselvam who resigned as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. 

For someone who owned a humble video parlour, her ascent to CM’s post is nothing less than remarkable, although highly controversial.

Here’s an interactive timeline of her journey: