Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa passes away

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa passed away in Chennai after 74 days of hospitalisation, Apollo Hospitals announced in a press release issued at 12:15 a.m. on Monday.

68 -year-old Jayalalithaa was readmitted to the critical care unit (CCU) of Chennai’s Apollo Hospital after she suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening. This was shortly after the party announced that she had been given a clean bill of health by a team of medical specialists.

All clinical attempts were made to save the CM's life but she passed away at 11 30 p.m., the Apollo press release said.

It said, "Unfortunately the honourable chief minister suffered a massive cardiac arrest on December, 4 2016, even while our intensivist was in her room. The honourable chief minister was immediately administered resuscitation (CPR) and provided the 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, our honourable chief minister's underlying conditions rendered her unable to recover and she passed away at 11.30 pm today."

Coverage: How Jaya fought and lost the battle for life

The state has announced mourning for three days. PM Narendra Modi, Congress VP Rahul Gandhi, Bengal CM Mamata Banerji and super star Amitabh Bachchan tweeted their condolences as soon as the announcement was made.

An actor who has worked in over 200 films, Jayalalithaa's formal entry into politics happened in 1982 when she was inducted into AIADMK by her mentor and former co-star MGR former TN CM MG Ramachandran. After his death in 1987, she took charge of the party and stormed to power as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time in 1991.

Several BJP and Congress leaders are expected to attend Jayalalitha's funeral likely to be held on Tuesday. ADMK sources said the body will be kept at Rajaji hall.

Meanwhile, on Monday morning, all 135 MLAs of the AIADMK were called to the party headquarters wherein they signed a deal to back Finance minister O Paneerselvam as the next CM. OPS is expected to take oath as the State's next CM soon. Governor Vidya Sagar Rao had recently allocated all her portfolios to O Panneerselvam when Jayalalithaa was hospitalised.

A trusted aide of the AIDMK supremo, Panneerselvam had assumed the position of the state Chief Minister on two separate occasions: from 2001 to 2002 and again in 2014 to 2015. He was also entrusted with the responsibility of being the CM when Jayalalithaa was convicted in the disproportionate assets case in 2014. O Panneerselvam in his address to party members on Monday after breaking the news to party said it was time to keep the party together and follow "amma's path."

Current Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Munisamy Thambidurai and Tamil Nadu PWD minister K Palanisamy were also considered but it was OPS who prevailed, said party sources. The party in meetings to be held in the next few days will also take a call on the future of Sasikala, Jayalalithaa's most trusted confidante.

A little after 1 am, Finance Minister O Panneerselvam was sworn in as Tamil Nadu's new CM at the Governor's residence. Rest of the Cabinet Ministers took oath together after him. Governor C Vidyasagar Rao begins oath ceremony with a 2 minute silence.

Party sources said the decision was taken in the meeting of MLAs at the party headquarter late Monday night. "The decision to have everything- MLA meeting in party office, Raj bhavan meeting and announcement of Jayalithaa's passing away done in just an hour was taken by some party seniors. This was to ensure situation doesn't go out of hand," an office bearer of the AIADMK told ET.

The Apollo Hospital press release:

Deeply saddened at the passing away of Selvi Jayalalithaa. She has left a huge void in Indian politics. This video is my tribute to her. pic.twitter.com/a8h3eXWVyp

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) December 5, 2016