Chennai, Sep 29 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam was Monday sworn-in the new chief minister, along with a 30-member council of ministers who were all part of the previous government.
Panneerselvam, 63, elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party Sunday evening, succeeds J. Jayalalithaa, who was sentenced to four years in prison Saturday after being convicted in a corruption case.
A staunch loyalist of the now jailed Jayalalithaa, Panneerselvam choked and looked morose as he started taking the oath of office and secrecy. He wiped away his tears and Governor K. Rosaiah comforted him.
Some legislators broke down. They included R. Vaithilingam, B. Valarmathi and P. Thangamani.
The atmosphere at the oath-taking ceremony was sombre. There were no celebratory noises at the event that came two days after Jayalalithaa was sent to jail and fined Rs.100 crore in a case of unaccounted assets.
All the 30 ministers from the outgoing Jayalalithaa cabinet were retained in the new cabinet headed by Panneerselvam.
All the ministers also retained their old portfolios.
Panneerselvam, who was the finance and public works minister will now also look after home, public, Indian Administrative Service/Indian Police Service/Indian Forest Service, general administration, district revenue officers, police, planning, legislative assembly, elections and passports, irrigation, and programme works.
Entering politics in 1996, Panneerselvam became the head of a local body. In 2001, he was elected to the assembly from Periakulam and became the minister for public works department.
He become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 2001 in similar circumstances. He was also Leader of Opposition when the AIADMK was voted out in 2006.
The other ministers are:
Natham R. Viswanathan (electricity, prohibition and excise)
R. Vaithilingam (housing, town planning and urban development)
Edappadi K. Palaniswami (highways and minor ports)
P. Mohan (rural industries, census 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, agriculture engineering)
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 development 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, pollution control)
T.P. Poonachi (khadi and village industries)
S. Abdul Rahim (backward classes and minorities welfare)
Dr. C. Vijaya Baskar (health)