India: Jayaram Jayalalitha Set to Return as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister

Former Indian actress Jayaram Jayalalitha is set to return as the chief minister of the southern state of Tamil Nadu after the state governor invited her to form a new ministry.

Jayaram Jayalalitha’s conviction in a corruption scandal in 2014 had cut short her fourth term as the chief minister, but earlier this month, an appeals court cleared her.

Her replacement O Panneerselvam quit on May 22, paving the way for her return.

Jayaram Jayalalitha is one of India’s most colorful politicians and she has been a leading figure in south Indian politics for three decades.

She was convicted and sentenced for four years by a trial court last September.

Jayaram Jayalalitha was found guilty of amassing unaccounted-for wealth of more than $10 million and had to quit as the chief minister.

The appeals court ruling earlier this month paved the way for her returning as the head of Tamil Nadu government.

On May 22, Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah’s office said in a statement that O Panneerselvam, party leader and loyalist who was heading the government in her absence, resigned along with his cabinet ministers.

The governor accepted the resignations and invited Jayaram Jayalalitha to form a government “at the earliest”, the statement added.

Earlier, legislators belonging to her regional AIADMK party met and elected Jayaram Jayalalitha as the leader of the legislature party.

According to local reports, Jayram Jayalalitha will make her first public appearance later during the day, and then form her government.