AIADMK’s O Panneerselvam
became the first person to take the oath of Chief Minister weeping. Handpicked
by his predecessor J Jayalalithaa for his loyalty, the new Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu and 30 other ministers were sworn-in by Governor K Rosaiah, after
their party boss was convicted to four years imprisonment in a disproportionate
assets case.
Tears rolled down the faces
of many ministers as they came to the podium to be administered the oath of
office and secrecy. The mood in the durbar hall was anything but celebratory
with no exchange of greetings, claps or smiles. All ministers also looked grim,
reflecting the mood in the ruling party. In a show of loyalty, the new Chief
Minister placed a photograph of Jayalalithaa on the lectern before taking the
oath of office and secrecy and kept wiping his tears. He was earlier chosen Chief
Minister in 2001, almost under similar circumstances when Jayalalithaa was
unseated by the Supreme Court.
The new Chief Minister has
retained all ministers of the Jayalalithaa Cabinet and effected no change in
their portfolios.
According to a Raj Bhavan
communique, he has retained his earlier portfolios of Finance and PWD and took
over the Home and other key portfolios held by Jayalalithaa. Hours after being
sworn in, Panneerselvam and his senior Cabinet colleagues left for Karnataka to
call on the AIADMK supremo lodged in Parappana Agrahara prison in the outskirts
of Bangalore
The protocol department of
the state government and Raj Bhavan kept the ceremony under a strict veil of
secrecy, probably under instructions from the new Chief Minister in view of the
circumstances and the mood prevailing among the partymen, who continued to hold
protests across the state condemning Jaya’s conviction.
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