Jayalalithaa is Tamil Nadu CM for the 5th time

Back in office after seven months, she also has 28 ministers sworn-in

After being forced to step down as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu seven months ago, AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa returned to the helm of the state government on Saturday. She had been convicted by a special court in a disproportionate assets case on September 27 last year, after which she had relinquished the high office. Her return to the post for the fifth time was made possible by the Karnataka High Court overturning the earlier court's verdict last week.

O Panneerselvam, who had replaced Jayalalithaa as the head of the state government last year, resigned as chief minister on Friday, Governor K Rosaiah then invited Jayalalithaa to form a new government. Having resigned from the Assembly in the wake of the special court verdict, she will have to get herself re-elected to the House. She is likely to contest from the Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency.

Her party cadres have been celebrating her return since yesterday, when the AIADMK legislators assembled at the party headquarters in the morning to re-elect her as the leader of the legislature party. In the afternoon she had driven to the Raj Bhavan to hand over to the governor a list of 28 cabinet ministers to be sworn in with her. She had  the gone to garland the statues of three state leaders — Anna, Periyar and MGR. Chennai had almost come to halt for three hours during this time.

On Saturday morning, the beachside road leading to Madras University was cordoned off. Jayalalithaa had chosen the university's Centenary Auditorium as the venue for her swearing-in since she considers it a lucky venue, having been twice sworn into office there as also having received honorary doctorate degrees at the hall.

Green, considered Jayalalithaa’s lucky colour, was on show everywhere at the venue, from the backdrop of the stage to the emerald ring that the AIADMK supremo was sporting as well as the pen she used to sign the oath documents. Jayalalithaa, along with her close aide Sasikala, were both clad in green saris.

Jayalalithaa took oath of office as the Tamil Nadu chief minister at around around 11:15 am along with 28 cabinet ministers. The BJP was represented at the event by Pon Radhakrishnan, Union minister of state for road Transport and highways, and La Ganesan, a senior party leader. Conspicuously missing at the venue was Cho Ramasamy, editor of Thuglak, who is widely considered a key advisor to Jayalalithaa.

Political observers say that governance in the state would now be restored and one will see an “active” government that was missing for the past seven months. Some of the major welfare schemes under the “Amma” brand are expected to go on full stream now. Her party cadres refer to her as Amma (mother), and the AIADMK government has started several welfare programmes under that name.

The ceremony also brought together India Cements Vice Chairman N Srinivasan and SPIC Chairman Emeritus A C Muthiah. The two former presidents of the Board for Control of Cricket in India were initially close friends, but their relationship has now soured. The other representatives from Chennai’s corporate world included MRF Chairman K M Mammen, Apollo Hospitals Executive Vice Chairperson Preetha Reddy and T Kannan of the Thyagaraja Group.

From the political circle, BJP was represented by Pon Radhakrishnan, Minister of State for Road Transport and High Ways, Shipping and La Ganesan, a senior leader of BJP. The face which was missing at the venue was Cho Ramasamy, editor of political satire magazine Thuglak, who was widely considered as one of the key advisors for Jayalalithaa.

Jayalalithaa is likely to contest from the Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency and get re-elected to the assembly.