Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah accepts the resignation of Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and invites AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa to form the new government.

Raj Bhavan statement says: The Governor of Tamil Nadu has invited Selvi (Ms) J Jayalalithaa to form the Ministry at the earliest and requested her to send the list of persons to be appointed as Ministers with portfolios.

Panneerselvam announces his resignation as chief minister, ending his nearly eight-month-long stint. Panneerselvam was sworn-in as chief minister on September 29 last year, two days after Jayalalithaa was unseated from the post when the trial court in Karnataka convicted her in a graft case. She was automatically disqualified from being a member of the Assembly and contesting elections for 10 years from that time.

"I have resigned as Chief Minister," Paneerselvam told party MLAs at the meeting convened to elect Jayalalithaa as the legislature party leader, paving her way to return at the helm.

Days after her acquittal by Karnataka High Court in a disproportionate assets case, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa unanimously elected as the legislature party leader, setting the stage for the 67-year-old to return as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu again.

After Jayalalithaa's unanimous election as the legislature party leader, the AIADMK is most likely to make an official announcement of her comeback as Tamil Nadu chief minister in a short while. Jayalalithaa is expected to meet Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah later today and stake claim as chief minister.

According to reports, the AIADMK supremo is most likely to take oath as chief minister tomorrow.

Jayalalithaa likely to make a public appearance later today.

Later in the day, Jayalalithaa would offer floral tributes at the party founder late MG Ramachandran's (MGR) statue, DMK founder late CN Annadurai's and Dravidar Kazhagam founder late EV Ramaswamy's statue in Chennai.

In a statement issued recently, Jayalalithaa had said that those things desired by her party cadres would happen at the right time and "nobody can stop" it.

Those who have tried to defeat me have never succeeded. Rumours are being spread by them with an intention to ensure their political survival," she had said.

The party chief asked her cadres to ignore rumours and said AIADMK had walked a path of discipline and planned strategies.

"We are at the cusp of victory after crossing all the hurdles. Our politics and administration should be based on legal principles and guidelines. That is how we have been functioning."

"That is why, our successive steps are being taken according to a planned itinerary. There is no confusion regarding this; no problems," she had stated. (Zee news)