Outgoing Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, his Cabinet colleagues and all other party MLAs exhibited a jubilant mood on the occasion as Jayalalithaa was showered with praises.
Even as Panneerselvam began his brief address by referring to Jayalalithaa as "manbumigu makkalin muthalvar," (honourable people's chief minister, a term used by AIADMK workers after she was disqualified following her conviction), a thunderous applause broke out.
Outgoing ministers, senior functionaries, including party Presidium Chairman E Madusudanan and all other party MLAs kept clapping at the event.
Clad in spotless white dhoti and shirt, and his trademark sacred ash and kumkum, Pannerselvam expressed happiness while announcing that he was quitting and Jayalalithaa would return to power.
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His speech was interspersed with reference to Jayalalithaa in chaste and reverential terms in Tamil which included "revolutionary leader."
Pannerselvam's loyalty has been unquestioned as on an earlier occasion too he was a stop gap Chief Minister when Jayalalithaa had to step down in 2001 following an adverse ruling in TANSI land case.
Lauding the MLAs for their boundless love and loyalty towards "Amma," he said, Jayalalithaa had "torn apart the net of conspiracy spun by evil minded," an apparent reference to the assets case pursued by DMK.