Jayalalitha and her entourage from Chennai checked into ITC's Maurya Sheraton in the Capital late on Monday night, and the staff has been at attention all day, waiting for an order from Madam. However, Madam has been a picture of pure delight; she has not thrown a tantrum yet and has had no complaints so far.

The hotel has strictly followed Madam's instructions to the smallest detail -- the 20 cartons that had arrived earlier in the day carried by her special assistant were unpacked and arranged -- they consisted of linen, towels and her official wardrobe. ``We were informed that Madam never uses the hotel linen, so they were all sent away,'' says a staffer helpfully. She also waved away the hotel's valet service and hasbrought her own staff for her routine requirements.

Jayalalitha has already moved from two hotels in the city -- she left her permanent suite in the Government-run Ashok Hotel in a huff when the service deteriorated progressively, and she did not recheck into the Taj Palace this time as the Rajput Suite (the hotel's most expensive and luxurious suite) was unavailable. She had already made her displeasure with the regular suites in the Taj pretty well-known.

The AIADMK office in Chennai then booked the Chandragupta Maurya suite at the Sheraton, which is the hotel's pride. Located on the 16th floor, the Maurya suite is the largest apartment in the hotel, with a sweeping drawing room, study, dining room, two bedrooms and a well-stocked kitchen. Furnished in raw silk and wall-to-wall carpets, the suite has been earlier occupied by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, Prince Charles and many heads of state.

Jayalalitha certainly believes she is no ordinary politician but enjoys the status of a world leader. Herentourage has been booked into 16 ordinary rooms on the same floor, and the whole side of the floor has been cordoned off for security reasons, as well as for the convenience of other guests.

Typically, when she stepped into her suite and noticed the carpeting, she turned around and warned her ever-attentive followers, ``I want you to leave this place just like it is.''

The AIADMK queen had only one request for her suite -- when she was asked whether she wanted any particular flowers, she answered she would like them all in red. Within minutes, the hotel sent up huge flower arrangements of red roses and red carnations. Pleased, she ordered them to be placed in all the rooms. The hotel has also ensured that the business lounge on the floor was kept exclusively for party workers, where they could meet for regular meetings and coffee sessions.

However, Jayalalitha has spent her first day in the Capital in isolated splendour. While cameramen and journalists crowded the hotel lobby waiting for her toemerge, Jayalalitha simply refused to oblige. Since the morning, she has been in her tower closeted with her confidante Sasikala and Janata Party MP Subramaniam Swamy.

The trickle of visitors through the day consisted mainly of party leaders like Nedunchezian, and others like Banatwala, E Ahmed, P C Thomas and R P Gawai.