This was the same venue where she took over as Chief Minister for the first time in 1991.

The Tamil Nadu Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala administered the oath of office and secrecy to Jayalalitha. She has taken on the mantle of the Chief Ministership of the state for the third time.

33 other also took oath of the ministers after Jayalalitha. Prominent among the ministers who took oath were former chief minister O. Panneerselvam and  Sengottaiyan who have been a loyalist from the period of late chief minister MG Ramachandran.

This would be the largest-ever ministry in the state since independence. Jayalalithaa will be retaining the home and police portfolios.

The AIADMK leader had steered the alliance led by her party to a spectacular victory in the elections by winning 200 of the total 234 seats.

Jayalalithaa’s new ministry is a blend of experience and youth. Most of the ministers are making their maiden entry into the state cabinet.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan, among others.