J Jayalalithaa was today set to return as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for the fifth time after she was formally elected the leader of AIADMK Legislature party.
Governor K Rosaiah invited her to form the government soon after her election, following which incumbent Chief Minister O Panneerselvam tendered his resignation.
At an early morning meeting of the MLAs presided over by chairman of the party presidium E Madusudanan, 67-year-old Jayalalithaa was unanimously elected as AIADMK Legislature Party Leader following her acquittal by the Karnataka High Court in a disproportionate assets case.
Panneerselvam, also the party treasurer, moved a resolution proposing her name as the Legislature Party leader which was seconded by Electricity Minister Natham R Vishwanathan and adopted unanimously.
The announcement was greeted with a thunderous applause and soon celebrations broke out in various parts of the state which was claimed to have witnessed a spate of suicides following Jayalalithaa's conviction.
A beaming Cooperative Minister, Sellur K Raju, later said, "This is the happiest day of our life."
In the resolution moved by him, Panneerselvam heaped praise on his leader, calling her "gold refined in fire" and described her as the 'permanent General Secretary' of AIADMK.
Expressing solidarity with Jayalalithaa, rebel MLAs of the opposition DMDK, including R Sundarrajan, Tamil Azhagan, K Pandiarajan, and R Santhi, participated in the AIADMK Legislature Party meeting.
Soon after, Panneerselvam submitted the resignation of his Cabinet to Governor Rosaiah, who asked him to continue till the time alternative arrangements are made.
Jayalalithaa was disqualified following her conviction in the Rs 66.66 crore disproportionate assets case by a trial court in Bengaluru on September 27. The Karnataka High Court had subsequently acquitted her of the charges on May 11.
She is likely to be sworn in "anytime now", Raj Bhavan sources said.
"The Governor of Tamil Nadu has invited Selvi (Ms) J Jayalalithaa to form the Ministry at the earliest and requested her to send the list of persons to be appointed as Ministers with portfolios," a Raj Bhavan statement said.
Another statement from Raj Bhavan said,"The Governor of Tamil Nadu accepted the resignation of Panneerselvam and his council of Ministers from the forenoon of May 22, 2015.
