Jayalalithaa takes oath, becomes Tamil Nadu CM again

The 67-year-old AIADMK supremo was sworn-in in the centenary hall of the Madras University at 11 am, a day after O Panneerslevam resigned as Chief Minister in her favour and the party elected Jayalalithaa as the leader of the Legislature Party.

J Jayalalithaa, dressed in a green saree, Jayalalithaa  took oath as Tamil Nadu chief minister followed by the swearing-in 28 ministers-all  standing in a line and speaking together. Among them was O Panneerselvam.

Jayalalithaa left her Poes Garden home at 10.37 on Saturday morning and arrived at 11 at the Madras University. A little before that superstar Rajinikanth had left for the oath venue.

Former cricket board chief N Srinivasan also attended  ceremony. Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan represented the Centre.

No senior BJP leader went to Chennai from Delhi.

Chennai is decked up in the colours of J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK, with large cutouts of the leader dominating the cityscape. Since early morning, there are roadblocks and traffic restrictions around the Madras University.

Early in the morning,  people began lining up along the route that Ms Jayalalithaa, fondly called 'Amma' or mother, will take to catch a glimpse of her. She made her first public appearance in eight months yesterday.

In a rapid development on Friday morning, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam resigned , soon after 144 of the AIADMK's 150 lawmakers met at the party headquarters in Chennai to unanimously elect Jayalalithaa as the leader of the legislature party.

Panneerselvam then met the Governor, who accepted his resignation.

The Governor then invited  Jayalalithaa to form government "at the earliest," and  asked her for a list of ministers who will take oath with her which she submitted while meeting the Governor at the Raj Bhavan.

In September last year, a Bengaluru court found Jayalalithaa guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income and sentenced her to imprisonment.

The conviction forced Jayalalithaa to step down as Chief Minister making room for O Panneerselvam, her protege in the party.

But She got a fresh lease of life and made a resounding comeback to political glory from months of ignominy after the Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalithaa, giving a clean chit to her.

After taking the oath  Jayalalithaa will return to her Poes Garden residence.

She is likely to go to the state Secretariat and begin work on Sunday.

Jayalalithaa must win a state assembly seat within six months of being sworn in. She was disqualified as a lawmaker when she was convicted.

A party MLA has resigned so that Jayalalithaa can contest his seat, but there is also speculation that she could call early state elections.