Preparations are on in full swing for the swearing-in ceremony of AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalitha, who is all set to return as the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. 

 Jayalalitha would take oath as chief minister at Madras University centenary auditorium here on May 23 following her acquittal in the disproportionate assets case by the Karnataka High Court. 

Banners and posters cover the route from her Poes Garden residence to the venue, with the police hiring labour to clean up the roads and paint the dividers. Government officials are also busy giving a facelift to the auditorium by cleaning up the place and checking lighting arrangements. 

It was in the same venue where Jayalalitha took oath as chief minister for the third time in 2011 after sweeping the Assembly polls, while she chose the Centenary Auditorium back in 1991 to assume office for the first time.

AIADMK spokesperson C R Saraswathy said on Wednesday that the incumbent O Panneerselvam will resign after the party MLAs choose ‘Amma’ as the legislature party leader on May 22. 

To a question regarding R K Nagar MLA P Vetrivel's resignation that would allow Jayalalitha to get re-elected as member of the Assembly, Saraswathy said all the questions will be answered soon. 

Though the party spokesperson declined to come on record regarding the date of Jayalalitha’s swearing-in, AIADMK sources confirmed that the party chief would take oath as chief minister on May 23. 

Vetrivel’s resignation from the Assembly is significant since Jayalalitha, acquitted in the disproportionate case on May 11, should be re-elected to the Assembly in six months after taking oath. 

The quitting of her party colleague has led to the speculation that she would contest by-elections from R K Nagar constituency in North Chennai.
 Elected to Assembly from Srirangam constituency in 2011, Jayalalitha lost her membership following her conviction in the case by a Bangalore trial court in September 2014. 

Though party sources are tight-lipped about the invitees to the swearing-in, some union ministers are expected to be part of the guest list. DH News Service