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Panneerselvam heaves a sigh of relief, finally

Last Updated 22 May 2015, 18:19 IST

The 236-day stint as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu ended for               O Panneerselvam on Friday after he tendered his resignation paving the way for AIADMK chief Jayalalitha to take over the top post again.

A staunch Jayalalitha’s loyalist, Panneerselvam, who was under attack from the opposition over poor governance, literally heaved a sigh of relief after submitting his resignation to governor Dr K Rosaiah at Raj Bhavan. He was in a buoyant mood after the AIADMK unanimously elected Jayalalitha as legislature party leader. The resolution was passed by Electricity Minister Natham Viswanathan. 

Panneerselvam took oath as the Tamil Nadu chief minister on September 29, 2014, two days after Jayalalitha stepped down from the office following conviction in Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case. He did not change any of the portfolios, keeping home, public and finance ministries with himself.

A similar situation was witnessed in 2001 when Jayalalitha had taken everyone by surprise by handpicking Panneerselvam to take up her job when she had to step down due to her conviction in the TANSI land scam.  In March 2002 also Panneerselvam resigned and Jayalalitha was sworn in after the Supreme Court overturned her conviction and she won a by-election from Andipatti constituency.

Even during the 33-week tenure, Panneerselvam chose not to function from the CM’s chamber where Jayalalitha used to discharge her duty. He did not announce any major welfare schemes nor did he hold any public meetings. 

Panneerselvam wrote more than 30 letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with regard to various state’s issues. He also visited New Delhi five times and met Modi. In February, 2015, he presented the State Budget and also convened couple of cabinet meetings. 

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(Published 22 May 2015, 18:19 IST)

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