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Jayalalithaa no more, Panneerselvam sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM

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Jayalalithaa no more, Panneerselvam sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM

Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, a popular leader who pioneered pro-poor programs and remained a pole for three decades, died here tonight leaving a big void in the state politics.

The 67-year-old leader, who suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, passed away at 11:30 pm tonight, after battling for life for 75 days, the Apollo Hospitals said in a statement.

Her body was taken to her residence at Poes Garden, where hundreds of AIADMK cadre were present. Police used batons to keep inconsolable mourners away who tried to break the security barricades outside their leader's house.

The body is kept at the Rajaji Hall for people to pay their respects, said the AIADMK, which the actor-turned-politician headed for nearly three decades after the death of her mentor and chief minister M.G. Ramachandran or MGR.

The last rites will be held at the Marina Beach later on Tuesday.

As national leaders expressed grief, the Tamil Nadu government declared a seven-day mourning. Schools and colleges in the sprawling state will be closed for three days.

Two hours after the announcement of her death, in a swift political transition, her loyalist O Panneerselvam was sworn in as chief minister at a sombre ceremony at the Raj Bhawan along with all the ministers in the erstwhile Jayalalithaa cabinet.

Jayalalithaa no more, Panneerselvam sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM

Panneerselvam had stepped into her shoes twice earlier when she was convicted in corruption cases. As Finance Minister, he was given charge of the portfolios held by Jayalalithaa after her admission to Apollo Hospitals on September 22.

Even as her death was announced, the AIADMK MLAs met at the party headquarters to elect Panneerselvam as the successor to Jayalalithaa.

Jayalalithaa, who scored a historic win in the assembly elections in the state little over six months ago, was admitted to Apollo Hospitals on September 22 with fever and dehydration but she could never recover.

A tinsel heroine, who inherited the legacy of her mentor late MGR, had entered politics in the early 1980s as the propaganda secretary of AIADMK and was made the in-charge of the noon meal scheme undertaken by the MGR government.

Born in a Brahmin family, Jayalalithaa emerged as a fiesty leader in a state where forces of social justice had thrown up an anti-Brahmin political movement even before independence.

She practiced politics on her own terms and was one of the two poles in the state for nearly 30 years fighting the DMK headed by redoubtable M Karunanidhi.

Jayalalithaa no more, Panneerselvam sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM

Only hours earlier in the evening, the hospital had denied reports that Jayalalithaa had died as "baseless and false" when TV channels said she was no more.

"It is with indescribable grief, we announce the sad demise of our esteemed Honorable chief minister of Tamil Nadu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma at 11.30 PM today," Apollo Hospitals said in a statement.

"Our honorable chief minister Selvi J Jayalalithaa was admitted on 22.9.2016 with complaints of fever and dehydration and underlying co-morbidities. The honorable chief minister responded well to the multi-disciplinary care in the Critical Care Unit and subsequently recovered substantially to being able to take food orally.

"On this basis, honorable chief minister was shifted from the Advanced Critical Care Unit to the High Dependency Unit, where her health and vitals continued to improve under the close monitoring by our expert panel of specialists."

Unfortunately, the hospital release said, the chief minister suffered a massive cardiac arrest on the evening of December 4 even while the intensiveness was in her room. The chief minister was immediately administered resuscitation (CPR) and provided ECMO support within the hour.

ECMO is the most advanced treatment currently available internationally. Every possible clinical attempt was made to sustain her revival. However, despite our best efforts, the chief minister's underlying conditions rendered her unable to recover and she passed away at 11:30 pm on Monday, the release said.

A five-time chief minister, Jayalalithaa pioneered a string of social sector schemes like 'cradle to baby scheme' aimed at fighting the curse of female foeticide, free gold coins for those who begot girl child.

She also opened a series of public welfare schemes under brand Amma, as she was popularly called, like 'Amma canteens' to low-priced food to the urban poor. There were similar schemes for the poor like 'Amma salt' 'Amma water' and 'Amma medicines'.

Jayalalithaa also attracted investment, especially from abroad, in sectors like automobile and IT.

A host of leaders including president Pranab Mukherjee, vice president Hamid Ansari, prime minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul, home minister Rajnath Singh and a number of film personalities expressed grief over her death.

Modi, who shared good political equation with Jayalalisthaa said he was deeply saddened at her passing away which has left a "huge void" in Indian politics.

"I will always cherish the innumerable occasions when I had the opportunity to interact with Jayalalithaa Ji. May her soul rest in peace," he said.

(With agency inputs)

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