Chennai: O Panneerselvam has succeeded All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)) chief as Tamil Nadu’s new Chief Minister. He will take oath as the CM at 11 am on Monday.

The decision to appoint Panneerselvam as the CM was taken at a meeting of AIADMK MLAs at the party headquarters in Chennai on Sunday where his name was proposed for the top post.

Soon after his appointment, Paneerselvam, who is currently Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister, drove to Raj Bhavan to call on Governor Rosaiah to convey the party’s decision. He was accompanied by Housing minister R Vaithilingam, Electricity Minister Natham Viswanathan and Highway Minister Edappadi Palanisamy.

The 63-year-old belongs to the dominant Mudukulathor community and is a trusted lieutenant of Jayalalithaa.

The crucial decision to name Jayalalithaa’s successor was taken as the AIADMK chief was on Saturday convicted and sentenced for four years in the Rs 66.65 crore illegal asset case.

He had been camping in Bangalore since Saturday when Jayalalithaa travelled there for the verdict in the disproportionate asset case and returned to Chennai on Sunday to take up the new responsibility as per her direction.

Apart from Panneerselvam, Natham Viswanathan, V Senthil Balaji, former Chief Secretary and Advisor to Tamil Nadu government Sheela Balakrishnan were the other probable names doing the rounds for the top post.

Earlier in 2001 too, when the Supreme Court struck down her appointment as Chief Minister following her conviction in TANSI land case, she had made her loyal aide and then not-so-known face Panneerselvam as her successor to power.

Described as “Mr Faithful”, the soft spoken and suave leader literally functioned as “interm-chief minister” for about six months and duly vacated the post after Jayalalithaa was acquitted in the case.