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Papri Sri Raman in Madras
O Panneerselvam will be the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu, succeeding Jayaram Jayalalithaa, who stepped down on Friday after a stunning verdict by the Supreme Court terming her appointment unconstitutional.
Panneerselvam was the revenue minister in Jayalalitha's four-month cabinet.
Panneerselvam represents the Perayakulan assembly constituency, which is a part of the Lok Sabha constituency of the same name.
T T Dinakaran, a nephew of Sasikala Natarajan, who is considered to be a confidant of Jayalalithaa, represents the constituency in Parliament.
It is for the first time since the 1980s that someone other than Jayalalithaa will be leading the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party.
Jayalalithaa has been the party's mentor since the death of its founder M G Ramachandran, himself a former chief minister, but better known as a Tamil movie star.
Packing complicated legal arguments and consultations within two weeks, the Supreme Court ordered her to step down immediately saying she was not qualified to be a member of the legislature in view of her conviction for graft.
Jayalalithaa, who had been preparing to contest a by-election to get elected to the state assembly, tendered her resignation soon after the court ruling.
The massive mandate that Jayalalitha secured for the AIADMK in the May elections could not be a licence to be the chief minister, the court said.
"The will of the people is subordinate to the Constitution of India," said Judge S P Bharucha, who headed a five-judge bench.
The judgement was the quickest in the history of the Supreme Court.
Jayalalithaa had become chief minister after the AIADMK won 111 seats in the 234-member assembly in the elections in May. All the MLAs then chose Jayalalithaa to be the chief minister though she was not a member of the house, and then governor Fathima Beevi swore her in amid doubts and controversy.
Beevi on Friday justified her decision, saying that she believed even now that she had not done any wrong in appointing Jayalalithaa.
Jayalalithaa had till November 14 to get elected to the Assembly, failing which she would have had to step down. An AIADMK legislator even resigned from his assembly constituency this week to make way for Jayalalithaa's election.
The Madras High Court will hear from October 1 Jayalalithaa's appeal against her conviction on corruption charges.
Attorney General Soli Sorabjee said: "Today's judgement is the quickest in the history of the Supreme Court. It is also for the first time that the powers and discretion of a governor in the appointment of a chief minister have been analysed and pronounced."
Indo-Asian News Service
EARLIER REPORT: Panneerselavam sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister
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