This Article is From Sep 29, 2014

Tamil Nadu's New Chief Minister, Colleagues Break Down

Tamil Nadu's new chief minister O Panneerselvam breaks down during the swearing-in ceremony.

Chennai: J Jayalalithaa, who is in a Bangalore prison after being convicted of corruption, has appealed against her verdict and applied for bail in the Karnataka High Court, which will hear her case tomorrow. In Chennai, her loyal aide O Panneerselvam has taken over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Here are the 10 latest developments in this story:

  1. Mr Panneerselvam, who is 63, broke down while taking his oath today. Many of the 32 ministers in the government also cried. 

  2. Mr Panneerselvam has served as a replacement for his boss earlier as well. He took over as Chief Minister for her in 2001 when she had to step down for six months following her conviction in the TANSI land deal case.

  3. She was in the middle of her third term when she was found guilty on Saturday of misusing her office during her first stint as chief minister from 1991 to 1996 to accumulate vast wealth that could not be accounted for by her declared sources of income.

  4. Ms Jayalalithaa is Prisoner No 7402 in Bangalore's Central Prison - her trial was transferred there in 2003 to ensure that her party's influence in her home state would not influence the case.

  5. Her conviction on Saturday meant that she was immediately disqualified as a member of the Tamil Nadu assembly. Last year, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgement that said law-makers found guilty of a crime with a jail sentence of two or more years cannot hold office or run for election.

  6. Tamil Nadu votes for its next government in 2016. Unless Ms Jayalalithaa's conviction is over-turned by a higher court, she will not be able to contest the state election.

  7. Her party, the AIADMK, swept Tamil Nadu in the national election in May, and is now the third-largest in Parliament.

  8. Ms Jayalalithaa has dismissed allegations of corruption against her as politically motivated.

  9. Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani will represent her in court.

  10. Her arrest has triggered large protests by her party workers outside the homes and offices of the rival DMK, which pursued the case against her that led to her imprisonment.



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