O. Panneerselvam
Ottakarathevar Panneerselvam is an Indian politician serving as the 2nd and current Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu since 21 August 2017. He is the coordinator of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He also served three times as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 22 September 2001 – 1 March 2002, 29 September 2014 – 22 May 2015 and 6 December 2016 – 15 February 2017.
He is a senior leader of the AIADMK political party and was a staunch loyalist of former chief minister of Tamil Nadu and AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa. His first two terms as Chief Minister came when he replaced Jayalalithaa in the role, after she was forced to resign by the courts. His third term began following Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's death and ended two months later, Edappadi K. Palaniswami was appointed as the Chief Minister by Tamil Nadu Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao. He was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 21 August 2017. He also holds portfolios of Finance, Housing, Rural Housing, Housing Development, Slum Clearance Board and Accommodation Control, Town Planning, Urban Development, and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. On 4 January 2018, O. Panneerselvam elected as Leader of the House in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
Personal life
Panneerselvam was born to Ottakkara Thevar and Palaniammal Nachiar on 14 January 1951 in Periyakulam, Tamil Nadu. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haji Karutha Rowther Howdia College in Uthamapalayam, Theni district. His close friend Salavuddin from Tenali encouraged him into politics. He also owned some agricultural land. He is married to P. Vijayalakshmi and the couple have three children. He is currently elected from the constituency of Bodinayakkanur, in Theni district.Political career
Early political career
Paneerselvam started his political career periyakulam as a worker of the then united DMK in 1969 at the age of 18. He started out as a young ground level party activist who worked at the booth level for municipal and legislative assembly elections, and worked his way up the Party. He joined the AIADMK in 1973 after M. G. Ramachandran split from the DMK and was among the first generations of party workers who split to found AIADMK and is thus a founding member. He was Chairman of Periyakulam Municipality from 1996 to 2001.First term as Chief Minister, 2001-2002
He was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in September 2001 when the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was barred from holding office by the Supreme Court of India. During his stint as Chief Minister, he was widely criticised for allegedly heading a puppet government managed by Jayalalithaa. His tenure lasted for six months, from 21 September 2001 to 1 March 2002. In March 2002, he resigned as Chief Minister and Jayalalithaa was sworn in again after the Supreme Court overturned her conviction and she won a by-election from Andipatti assembly constituency. From 2 March 2002 to 13 December 2003, he was the Minister for Public Works, Prohibition and Excise. Subsequently, he was also entrusted with the Revenue department's charge from 13 December 2003 to 2006.Leader of the Opposition, 2006
After the party lost the assembly elections in May 2006, Panneerselvam was the leader of the AIADMK legislative party and the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for about two weeks. In that election, he was elected to be the member of Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Periyakulam. After all the AIADMK legislators were suspended by the speaker of the house, Jayalalithaa, who had decided not to attend the Legislative Assembly, decided to return and replaced Panneerselvam as the Leader of the Opposition.Second term as Chief Minister, 2014-2015
In 2011, he contested as an AIADMK candidate from the Bodinayakkanur and won. Again, he became the Minister of Finance in Jayalalithaa's government and held the office from 16 May 2011 to 27 September 2014. He was again entrusted with the responsibility of being Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 29 September 2014 when Jayalalitha was convicted in the disproportionate assets case. On 22 May 2015, he resigned as Chief Minister and Jayalalithaa was sworn in again after the Karnataka High Court acquitted her in the disproportionate assets case on 11 May 2015.A year after his resignation, on 23 May 2016, he was sworn in as Minister for Finance and Public Works Department in Jayalalithaa's government.
Third term as Chief Minister, 2016-2017
On 6 December 2016, Panneerselvam was elected as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu following the death of incumbent Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. On 10 December he held his first cabinet meeting as a full-term Chief Minister. He tended his resignation as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 6 February 2017 to the governor, who accepted and appointed him as the caretaker Chief Minister of the state to avoid a leadership vacuum, until further measures could be taken.. On 14 February 2017, he was expelled from the AIADMK by party general-secretary, V. K. Sasikala. Shortly after his expulsion, the Governor invited the newly elected legislative leader of the AIADMK, Edappadi K Palaniswami to form the government, following which he took over as chief minister on 16 February 2017.. He became the leader of opposition in 2006 after ADMK party lost the election.Elections contested
Tamil Nadu Legislative elections
New Party Symbol
After his exit from AIADMK Panneerselvam and his supporters appealed to the election commission to take action against the current chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and party General Secretary Sasikala. He also made a point to them that he needs the two leaf party symbol to contest in RK Nagar election. Also, Edappadi K. Palaniswami and supporters appealed against him, but the election commission rejected both the appeals and allotted two different symbols to each party.In August 2017 Edappadi K. Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam Faction merge. He was made Deputy Chief Minister and was also given finance portfolio.