Meet the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu- O Panneerselvam

Chennai: After the demise of Jayalalithaa, her loyalist AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at the state Raj Bhavan by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao here on Tuesday. He was unanimously elected as the leader of the Legislature party.

Meanwhile, other 31 ministers also took oath as Cabinet ministers.

Also read: Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa dies at 68, O Panneerselvam succeeds

About O Panneerselvam:

• O Panneerselvam was born into the Maravar caste, a sub-caste of Thevars community that belonged to Tamil Nadu.
• In the late 1980s, he started PV canteen, a small shop tea shop in his native district.
• Panneerselvam is considered close to Jayalalithaa’s confidante Sasikala and had helped Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran win an assembly seat in 1999 through his election strategies.
• He was made the Chief Minister in 2001 for a few months and later for a few months in 2014, following court decisions against Jayalalithaa.
• He was made the opposition leader after the AIADMK lost in year 2006.
• He has been a cabinet minister in every government headed by Jayalalithaa since 2001.
• The leader also publicly prostrated before Jayalalithaa ahead of presenting the annual budget as the Finance Minister.

Jayalalithaa’s fall triggered panic among All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) workers as they broke barricades outside Amma’s residence making police to launch lathicharge.

Day after suffering cardiac arrest, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa passed away at 11:30 pm on Monday. Appolo hospital confirmed the same in a medical bulletin. She was hospitalised since last 74 days. Jayalaithaa’s body will be kept at Rajaji Hall for paying last respects

Following the death of Tamil Nadu CM, three-day holiday has been declared for schools and colleges in the state. The seven-day state mourning has also been announced over the demise.

Jayalalithaa was on a ventilator support during her final days before her demise.

Also read: An enigma called Jayalalithaa Jayaraman