Chennai: AIADMK legislators on Friday unanimously elected party general secretary J Jayalalithaa leader of the legislature party, a prerequisite for being sworn in on Monday as chief minister for a second consecutive term. Jayalalithaa is expected to meet Governor K Rosaiah on Saturday to stake claim to form the government.
Amid cheers from the crowd gathered, the early birds, including former minister C Ve Shanmugam (Villupuram), former MP V Saroja (Rasipuram), and K Pandiarajan (Avadi), trooped into the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah. Soon, ministers O Panneerselvam, P Thangamani, S P Velumani and K C Veeramani arrived to popping of flash bulbs and chants of "Puratchi Thalaivi Vazhga" (Long live revolutionary leader).
The loudest applause was reserved for R Kumaraguru, who routed DMDK leader Vijayakant at Ulundurpet in Villupuram.
After the meeting began at 5pm, party presidium chairman E Madhusoodanan along with deputy
Lok Sabha
Speaker D Thambidurai took centre-stage. When Madhusoodanan read out the resolution on the election of Jayalalithaa as leader of the legislature party, AIADMK MLAs, and those of alliance partners, M Thamimun Ansari (Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi), actor Karunas (Mukkulathor Puli Padai) and U Thaniyarasu (TN Kongu Ilaignar Peravai), endorsed it. "It hardly took five minutes to pass the resolution, but it took more than 40 minutes to sign the register one by one according to the protocol," said a first-time MLA.
Insiders said Panneerselvam, who is seen to have fallen from grace, didn't have any role in the proceedings unlike in the past. He was seen chatting with Edappadi K Palaniswami and P Palaniappan. Thiruparankundram MLA S N Seenivel, who has been hospitalized for illness, was represented by his son S Selvakumar, with an authorization letter. Later, Madhusoodanan and Thambidurai visited Poes Garden to hand over the resolution to Jayalalithaa.
The swearing-in of the new cabinet is scheduled to take place at the Centenary Auditorium of University of Madras on Monday.
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