Palaniswami takes oath as Tamil Nadu CM

Sasikala loyalist Edappadi K Palaniswami took oath today as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, after the Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, invited him to form government at the "earliest". He becomes the third Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in the last two months to be sworn in.The swearing-in ceremony of Palaniswami as CM was held at the Raj Bhavan.

The Governor asked Palaniswami, the AIADMK Legislature Party Leader, to form his ministry at the earliest and seek a vote of confidence in the assembly within 15 days.

"The Governor has today appointed Edappadi K Palaniwami, Party Headquarters Secretary of AIADMK as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and invited him to form the ministry at the earliest," a Raj Bhavan release said.

Palaniswami is reportedly discussing the composition of his cabinet and the confidence vote which he has to seek in the next 15 days, as mandated by Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao.

Earlier in the day, the Governor had met Palaniswami -- the third meeting between the two since February 14 when AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala was convicted by the Supreme Court in an assets case, dealing a body blow to her ambition of becoming Chief Minister.

She was earlier elected AIADMK Legislature party leader on February 5, but a revolt by the O Panneerselvam threw a spanner in the works.