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Supreme Court unseats Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam becomes Chief Minister

· Chennai

Supreme Court unseats Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam becomes Chief Minister
Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Wikimedia Commons

After the Supreme Court held Jayalalithaa's appointment invalid, O. Panneerselvam served as Chief Minister until she returned in March 2002.

In September 2001 a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that J. Jayalalithaa, who stood convicted in the TANSI land deal case, could not hold the office of Chief Minister. The AIADMK chose O. Panneerselvam, then Revenue Minister, who was sworn in on 21 September 2001. After the Madras High Court acquitted Jayalalithaa in the TANSI and related cases, she won the Andipatti by-election in February 2002. Panneerselvam resigned and she was sworn in again on 2 March 2002.

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