Jayalalithaa takes oath as Tamil Nadu CM for record sixth time

28 cabinet ministers took charge along with Jayalalithaa at the swearing-in ceremony that took place at Madras University.

Chennai

: AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for a record sixth time along with 28 cabinet colleagues on Monday at a glittering ceremony for which invitations were extended to several national leaders.

Parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the glittering ceremony, who is away in Iran on an official visit. The ceremony took place at the centenary auditorium of Madras University.

Official sources in New Delhi said the Prime Minister received an invitation from the Chief Minister and since he cannot attend due to his engagements, he deputed Mr Naidu, who shares an excellent rapport with Ms Jayalalithaa, for the event.

Jayalalithaa at the swearing-in ceremony held at Madras University.

Invitations have been sent to Ms Jayalalithaa’s counterparts in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Navin Patnaik and N. Chandrababu Naidu and a few other Chief Ministers and leaders of opposition parties in Tamil Nadu.

Mr Patnaik, who is camping in New Delhi, has several “important appointments” on Monday, a senior official at the Odisha Bhawan in the national capital told Deccan Chronicle, but did not rule last-minute changes to the CM’s itinerary.

Ms Jayalalithaa was sworn-in as Chief Minister at the head of a 28-member Cabinet, which has an equal mix of experienced leaders and newcomers. After meeting Governor K Rosaiah on Saturday and handing over the letter of her election as leader of AIADMK Legislature Party, the Chief Minister also gave the list of her new Cabinet colleagues.

(THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON DECCAN CHRONICLE AS MAY THE CASE BE)