“You don’t know." If a bureaucrat heard those three words from J Jayalalithaa, he or she knew the chief minister was ending the conversation, the argument, and it was a line they never crossed.Inspiring awe and respect during her four terms as chief minister, Jayalalithaa, 68, held a tight rein over the government and the bureaucracy when her party was in power. The benevolent autocrat, who never took ‘no’ for an answer, was often described as her idol former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was: "The only man in her cabinet."Bureaucrats who worked with her said she was quick to make decisions, but those who ran afoul of her felt her wrath as quickly. "She would come prepared to review meetings," says a senior IAS officer. "Her capacity to comprehend was amazing. I never had to repeat anything to her. At most, she used to ask for some additional input. Once that was given, the decision was taken then and there."Her trusted lieutenants could do anything as long as they kept her in the loop. But if they lost her trust, she would not hesitate to sack them. The suspensions of former chief secretary K Gnanadesikan (2016) and former DGP A Ravindranath (2001) are examples. It’s not just within the state that she had admirers. A senior police officer recalls a group of officials from another state commenting, after a meeting with Jayalalithaa: "You perhaps have the best chief minister in the country." They were bowled over by her understanding of issues, clarity of thought and succinct speech.Jayalalithaa had a good memory, and was methodical. She was careful about keeping an eye on Tamil nationalist groups and caste-based parties that could rake up social tensions and did not hesitate to take action against PMK’s Ramadoss and MDMK ’s Vaiko. During her 2001-2006 term, she ordered detention of her erstwhile ally Vaiko under POTA, for making a speech in support of LTTE. Ramadoss and his son Anbumani were arrested in 2013 on charges of inciting violence.In a state where the DMK and the AIADMK held power alternately for almost 30 years, she and her bête noire M Karunanidhi ensured continuity on a broad spectrum of policies, concerning industry, healthcare and education.Jayalalithaa had a larger-than-life image, but her weakness was that she was inaccessible to many, including senior bureaucrats and her own party colleagues. The coterie around her never allowed anyone to get close to her and for that reason, she could be misled.Despite staying within a small circle, her assessment of the state’s political situation was rarely wrong.Even with the prospect of disqualification due to the wealth case looming, she took on the Centre on many occasions. She fielded candidates in all 234 assembly segments earlier this year, despite predictions by poll pundits that the DMK was regrouping, and won the state again.