O. Panneerselvam, staunch loyalist of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a second time on Monday by Governor K. Rosaiah, followed by the induction of other Ministers. The ceremony was emotionally charged with virtually every member of the new Cabinet breaking down .
Mr. Panneerselvam succeeds party General Secretary Jayalalithaa after she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case by a Bangalore special court on Saturday.
As the Governor invited him to take oath, Mr. Panneerselvam was in tears, but continued to read the pledge. He was seen wiping his tears frequently as his cabinet colleagues began taking oath, most of them also in tears.
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The ministers sat silently looking down. At the end of an agonisingly long ceremony, the Governor extended his customary greetings by patting them, but to no avail.
Senior ministers turn emotional during the swearing-in ceremony of O. Panneerselvam as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister held at Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Monday. Photo: S.R.Raghunathan
P. Valarmathi being sworn in as a minister for Social Welfare during the swearing in ceremony held in Chennai on Monday. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
Other ministers and their portfolios
Natham R. Viswanathan (Electricity and Prohibition)
R. Vaithilingam (Housing and Urban Development)
Edappadi K. Palaniswami (Highways and Minor Ports)
P. Mohan (Rural Industries and Labour)
B. Valarmathi (Social Welfare and Nutritious Noon Meal Programme)
P. Palaniappan (Higher Education)
Sellur K. Raju (Co-operation)
R. Kamaraj (Food)
P. Thangamani (Industries)
V. Senthil Balaji (Transport)
M.C. Sampath (Commercial Taxes and Registration)
S.S. Krishnamoorthy (Agriculture)
S.P. Velumani (Municipal Administration, Rural Development, Law, Courts and Prisons)
T.K.M. Chinnayya (Animal Husbandry)
S. Gokula Indira (Handlooms and Textiles)
S. Sundararaj (Sports and Youth Welfare)
P. Chendur Pandian (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments)
S.P. Shunmuganathan (Tourism)
N. Subramanian (Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare)
K.A. Jayapal (Fisheries)
Mukkur N. Subramanian (Information Technology)
R.B. Udhaya Kumar (Revenue)
K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji (Information and Special Programme Implementation)
B.V. Ramanaa (Milk and Dairy Development)
K.C. Veeramani (School Education)
M.S.M. Anandan (Forests)
Thoppu N.D. Venkatachalam (Environment)
T.P. Poonachi (Khadi and Village Industries)
S. Abdul Rahim (Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare)
Dr. C. Vijaya Baskar (Health)