Amidst a pall of gloom following Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s death, senior AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam was elected the leader of the Legislature Party shortly after Monday midnight and sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

 Along with him 31 Cabinet Ministers were also sworn in.  Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of office and oath of secrecy to the Council of Ministers.   

For Panneerselvam, it is the third term as Chief Minister. Earlier, he held the office in 2001 and 2014.

As Jayalalithaa’s trusted man, Mr. Panneerselvam had stepped into her shoes for two brief periods — during 2001-02 and 2014-15 — after she was unseated by the courts.