Handpicked by J Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam, the 'Mr Faithful' of the AIADMK supremo, is all set to be the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after he was today elected as leader of the legislature party in the wake of her conviction in an illegal assets case.
In swift developments, 63-year-old Panneerselvam, who was chosen by Jayalalithaa to fill her shoes in a similar situation in 2001, was unanimously elected as leader of AIADMK Legislature Party and promptly invited by Governor K Rosaiah to form government, a day after she was sent to jail for four years leading to her disqualification from the Assembly.
A trusted lieutenant of Jayalalithaa, Panneerselvam belongs to the dominant Mudukulathor community and has risen from humble origins. He once ran a tea stall which his family still owns. Elected for the first time to the Assembly in 2001, he held two key portfolios of Finance and Public Works in her Ministry. He is also the AIADMK Treasurer.
Indications are that he is likely to be sworn-in tomorrow although there was no official confirmation from Raj Bhavan.
OPS, as he is known in political circles, was Jayalalithaa's choice and his name was understood to have communicated by Jayalalithaa in the court itself after she was convicted and sentenced in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case. She also had a long conversation with him in the court before she was lodged in Bangalore jail.
The events signalled a repeat of 2001. The loyal footsoldier of Jayalalithaa had acted as a nightwatchman when she had to step down due to her conviction in TANSI land scam.
The soft spoken and suave leader returned the Chief Minister's chair six months later when she was acquitted in the case.
