Yes, Sasikala will be Tamil Nadu's CM. For how long is the real question

When the 61-year-old V.K. Sasikala – ‘chinnamma’, as she has anointed herself – is sworn in as the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu this week, she will be the third woman to hold the state’s top political job. But whether she will have a long innings in office, like her mentor, the late J. Jayalalithaa, or a short one like Janaki Ramachandran, will depend upon her ability to ensure the continuing loyalty of her party legislators.

On Sunday afternoon, all 136 MLAs attending the ruling AIADMK party legislature meeting in Chennai lined up to unanimously choose her as chief minister. In the best traditions of authoritarian politics, her name was proposed by none other than the serving – and now outgoing – chief minister, O. Panneerselvam or OPS. But Sasikala’s show of strength amongst AIADMK legislators cannot hide the fact that the party’s rank and file cadres, and the wider public in the state, do not approve of the manner in which the reins of government have been placed in chinnamma’s hands.

Panneerselvam will submit his resignation to governor C. Vidyasagar Rao as soon as the latter returns to Chennai from Mumbai. Read more

Live: Manmohan Singh, Siddaramaiah reach Rajaji Hall to pay last respect to Jayalalithaa

People gather in huge number at Rajaji Hall to pay their last respect to Jayalalithaa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays last respect to late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Photo: Twitter (@PIB_India)

13:45: Tamil Nadu: PM Narendra Modi pays his last tributes to #Jayalalithaa at Rajaji Hall in Chennai.

13:40: Narendra Modi leaves Rajaji Hall.

13:33: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays last respect to Jayalalithaa, consoles Sasikala, Panneerselvam.

13:31: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam breaks down in front of Narendra Modi.

13:25: At least one million queue up at Rajaji Hall in Chennai to get a last glimpse of Jayalalithaa

13:18: BSP Chief Mayawati to attend Jayalalithaa's funeral

13:12: Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu): Supporters shave their heads in mourning after the demise of #JJayalalithaa

13:08: Jayalalithaa was an iron lady. An amazing woman and a great leader. Connect she had with people was unprecedented. It is a huge loss: Shatrughan Sinha

13:04 PM: President Pranab Mukherjee has left Delhi for Chennai to pay last tributes to Jayalalithaa, who passed away on Monday.

12:59: Tamil Nadu: PM Modi arrives in Chennai to pay last tributes to #JJayalalithaa who passed away yesterday Read More About Jayalalithaa Live News

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Jayalalithaa keeps five poll promises on Day 1

Jayalalithaa keeps five poll promises on Day 1

J Jayalalithaa, 68, took oath as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the sixth time on Monday, and cleared five files, waiving farmers’ debt and providing limited free electricity to domestic consumers.

She also started a phased prohibition, providing free gold for marriages and free power for handloom weavers. All these were major promises her party made in their manifesto before the Assembly elections. Jayalalithaa’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won 134 out of 232 Assembly seats. Election for two has been postponed to June.

The chief minister and 28 of her Cabinet colleagues were sworn in by Governor K Rosaiah on Monday at the Madras University’s Centenary Hall. The list included 13 new faces and four women. S Semmalai has been named as pro-tem Speaker. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as chief minister for the second consecutive term, a rare feat for a political party in Tamil Nadu. Despite the rivalry between the two parties, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) treasurer M K Stalin attended the swearing-in ceremony. This was the second time Stalin attended Jayalalithaa’s swearing in. In 2001, as Chennai mayor, he, along with a few DMK leaders, attended the function. After the ceremony, the chief minister drove straight to her office at the Secretariat and signed the five files. The first was an order to waive off small and medium farmers’ loans in the cooperative banks. This would cost the state around Rs 5,780 crore. Also, domestic users are now entitled to 100 units of free electricity. This will cost the state around Rs 1,607 crore. Read More