Jayalalithaa's trusted aide Panneerselvam sworn as Tamil Nadu's new chief minister

CHENNAI: When J Jayalalithaa's tried and trusted political lieutenant O Panneerselvam takes oath as Tamil Nadu chief minister on Monday, he has his first task cut out: to "move heaven and earth" to secure bail for his party supremo currently lodged in a Bangalore prison after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case.

Party sources told ET that their legal team was doing everything possible to get the Chief Justice of the Karnataka high court to convene a special bench to hear Jayalalithaa's bail petition in HC on Monday or Tuesday. Noted lawyer and former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani is likely to appear on behalf of Jaya in HC. As an immediate relief, Jaya will first seek bail which will be followed by an appeal against the judgment.

In Chennai, a team of glumfaced MLAs — a few even wailing — signed on the dotted line at a meeting in the party HQ on Sunday evening electing finance m i n i s t e r Panneerselvam as the legislative party leader.

AIADMK sources said the swearing in will be a sombre affair. "The effort will be to finish off the ceremony as soon as possible to send a strong message to the cadres that Panneerselvam is just a substitute till Amma returns," a party functionary told ET.

This would be the second time that Panneerselvam gets sworn in as the CM. Jaya had handed over the responsibility to him in 2001 following her conviction in the TANSI land case. Back home in Periyakulam, Theni district, where Panneerselvam grew up, stories of his humility and valour began doing the rounds all over again. Damodaran, a classmate and close friend of Panneerselvam, said: "He has remained humble and loyal all his life to the party and its leader." Damodaran is the local leader of an MGR Forum attached to AIADMK in Periayakulam.

"Panneerselvam has always risen to the occasion. When a local tank had breached, Panneerselvam as a young lad had then led a team with all of us to plug the breach. Even a couple of months ago when he witnessed a road accident on the highway between Trichy and Chennai, OP took the victim in his car and got her admitted at the hospital," Damodaran added.

Panneerselvam's father Ottakara Thevar was a farmer and ran a tea shop in Pariyakulam town in Theni district. OP completed his schooling and graduation in Periayakulam and while helping out his father in the Tea shop, he was actively involved in political work. He started small as the party's ward councillor and went on to become Periyakulam Municipality Chairman. He grew through the ranks and became MLA for Pe r i yakulam Constituency in 2001. His fortunes looked up when he came to the attention of TTV Dinakaran, nephew of Jaya's close aide Sasikala.

In 2001, when Jayalalithaa had to step down over a corruption case, she had appointed Panneerselvam as her stand-in. He was "shell-shocked" over the announcement. But his work as a substitute in running a proxy government has clearly impressed the party chief enough to give him a second opportunity now.