Jayalalithaa loyalist and Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O Panneerselvam will be the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

According to a press release from the Raj Bhavan, Panneerselvam was unanimously elected leader of the AIADMK Legislature party. Governor K Rosaiah invited him to form the Ministry.

Panneerselvam, Treasurer of AIADMK, met the Governor today and submitted a letter and the resolution passed by the AIADMK legislators electing him leader of the party.

He is expected to be sworn in on Monday. Panneerselvam will become the Chief Minister for the second time. The 63-year-old MLA from Bodinayakanur was in 2001 chosen by the AIADMK supremo to fill her shoes in a similar situation when she had to step down following her conviction in the Tansi land deal case for which she was awarded a two-year jail term. She subsequently returned after she was acquitted on appeal.

Disproportionate asset case Panneerselvam’s elevation today follows the conviction and imprisonment of Jayalalithaa in a corruption case on Saturday. A special court in Bangalore found her guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income.

The special court sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years in prison and slapped a fine of ₹100 crore. Three other accused — VK Sasikala, an aide of Jayalalithaa, and Sasikala’s relatives, VN Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi — were sentenced to four years imprisonment and a fine of ₹10 crore each. They were convicted under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Judge John Michael D’Cunha delivered the verdict after an 18-year legal battle. The case had been initiated by the Department of Vigilance and Anti Corruption, Tamil Nadu, in 1996 and subsequently shifted to Bangalore in 2003. Jayalalithaa was accused of amassing over ₹66 crore between 1991 and 1996 when she was Chief Minister.

Party MLAs meet AIADMK MLAs met today at the party headquarters to elect their new leader. Party workers thronged the venue in the heart of Chennai. At the meeting, which started around 3 p.m., Panneerselvam’s name was proposed for top post. Following this, Panneerselvam, accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues, met the Governor.

At the AIADMK office, party workers shouted slogans against the DMK, and burnt effigies of that party’s leader M Karunanidhi. But the demonstrations were more subdued compared to Saturday when news of the sentencing broke. The city came to a halt as angry supporters took to the streets in protest. Shops and commercial establishments were shut down.

But on Sunday morning, the situation was relatively normal. Shops in major commercial areas opened for business though there were few shoppers.

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