Jayalalithaa takes oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister at the Madras University. (AFP)
J Jayalalithaa is back as Tamil Nadu chief minister, eight months after she had to resign because a Bangalore court convicted her in a corruption case. She took oath this morning in the centenary hall of the Madras University.
Here are the latest developments in the story:
28 ministers were also sworn in - they stood in a line and took oath together - in an event that was wrapped up in less than half an hour. O Panneerselvam, who resigned as chief minister on Friday, is now Finance Minister.
Superstar Rajinikanth, who is Ms Jayalalithaa's neighbour at Chennai's Poes Garden attended the oath ceremony. Cricket administrator and businessman N Srinivasan was there too.
Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan represented the Centre and the BJP along with a few state level leaders. (See pics)
In Delhi, Finance Minister Minster Arun Jaitley congratulated Ms Jayalalithaa and said, "We don't have an alliance with the AIADMK. We cooperate on certain issues but we also have differences. We will maintain the best relations with Tamil Nadu and cooperate with them."
The AIADMK with its 11 lawmakers in the Rajya Sabha is important for the BJP-led Narendra Modi government, which is in a minority in that house of Parliament and needs the help of regional parties like Ms Jayalalithaa's to pass key legislation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to greet Ms Jayalalithaa when the Karnataka High Court acquitted her of corruption charges earlier this month. The court's decision cleared the way for her return as chief minister.
After she took oath today, Ms Jayalalithaa returned to her Poes Garden residence. Sources said she is likely to go to the state secretariat and begin work only tomorrow.
Ms Jayalalithaa has to hit the ground running to make up for the limbo that the state government was in since September last year, when she resigned. O Panneerselvam, who took her place, made it clear he was only standing in till her return.
Ms Jayalalithaa is expected to announce new projects and welfare schemes. The launch of a metro rail project is pending and she is expected to announce a global investors meet, postponed a few times during Mr Panneerselvam's tenure.
She must win a state assembly seat within six months of being sworn in. There is speculation that she could call assembly elections earlier than next year, when they are due to be held.
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