Chennai, May 10 (IANS): Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami will be the next Opposition leader of the state.

A three hour-long meeting of legislators and senior leaders held at the party headquarters here on Monday decided on the former Chief Minister as the legislature party leader of the AIADMK.

The legislature party leader of the opposition party will automatically become the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.

Party leaders handed over a letter proposing the name of Palaniswami as the legislature party leader of thee AIADMK to Assembly Secretary K. Srinivas after the meeting of the party legislators and office-bearers.

This is the first time that the AIADMK legislature party leader was announced after much opposition within the party.

The party is yet to announce the name of its Chief Whip and Deputy Leader in the Assembly.

There were hectic parleys in the AIADMK and former Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam had proposed the name of former Speaker P. Dhanapal as the party legislature party leader which was voiced down by the MLAs in support of Palaniswami.

The newly-elected legislators will take the oath of office on May 11, Tuesday and the Speaker will be elected on May 12.

The Speaker has to be escorted to the chair by the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and hence the selection of the Leader of Opposition had to take place before May 12.