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Jaya to be sworn in as CM today
* Mamata Banerjee stakes claim to form next govt in West Bengal
* Oommen Chandy will take oath as Kerala Chief Minister on May 18

Chennai/Kolkata, May 15
While J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK supremo, who steered the party-led alliance to a spectacular win in the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, will take over the reins of the government for a third time tomorrow, senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy will be sworn in as the next Kerala Chief Minister on May 18 to head the UDF ministry.

In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee was today elected the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party leader.

Jayalalithaa (63) will be sworn in as the CM tomorrow at the Madras University's centenary auditorium at 12.15 pm, Chief Secretary S Malathi announced after the AIADMK chief met Governor SS Barnala to stake claim to form government.

Senior AIADMK leaders like former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, D Jayakumar and K A Senkottaiyan are expected to be inducted into the new Cabinet, whose size is not known.

After meeting the Governor, the AIADMK chief said her immediate priorities would be to restore the law and order and bring the economy of the state back on track.

Describing as “perennial,” the acute power shortage situation, believed to be one of the factors that brought down the DMK, she said all issues would be addressed one by one. A strong believer of astrology, Jayalalithaa will be taking oath as Chief Minister after the 'Rahu Kalam' (7.30-9 am) and 'Yama Kandam'(10.30am -12 noon), both considered inauspicious to start new ventures.

There are indications that Jayalalithaa might shift the seat of governance to Fort St George dumping the new Secretariat-cum-Assembly complex built during the DMK tenure.

Meanwhile, soon after being elected the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party leader, Mamata said her pre-poll ally, the Congress, would be part of her “small” ministry. Banerjee said she was happy that the Congress had submitted a letter of support to a Trinamool Congress-led ministry to Governor MK Narayanan.

“We will also submit a letter to the Governor (with the list of supporters),” she said. Railway Minister Banerjee, who is a member of Lok Sabha from a Kolkata constituency, will have to get herself elected to the state Assembly within six months. She is likely to contest from a constituency in south Kolkata, TC sources said.

Banerjee dedicated the success of the Trinamool Congress to the victory of ‘Ma, Mati and Manush (Mother, Land and People).’ In Kerala, Chandy (67) called on Governor RS Gavai this evening and staked claim to form the next government. — PTI