The lawmakers of AIADMK party on Friday elected their general secretary J. Jayalalithaa as the leader of the legislature party, a party leader said.

 

 

 In a meeting held at the party headquarters here in the morning, AIADMK legislators unanimously elected Jayalalithaa as the leader of the legislature party, said the leader who did not want to be named.

 

 "It was a short meeting mainly to elect Amma (Jayalalithaa) as the AIADMK's legislature party leader," he told IANS.

 

 Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam proposing Jayalalithaa's name as the leader of the legislature party, much to the clapping of all the law makers also said he would resign as chief minister and leader of legislature party.

 

 It is also expected that Jayalalithaa would be sworn in as the chief minister on Saturday, according to party sources.

 

 Party cadres in large numbers were assembled at the AIADMK headquarters here since early morning.

 

 Later in the day, Jayalalithaa would offer floral tributes at the party founder late M.G. Ramachandran's (MGR) statue, DMK founder late C.N. Annadurai's and Dravidar Kazhagam founder late E.V. Ramaswamy's statue here.

 

 Jayalalithaa had to leave the position of chief minister and assembly seat (Srirangam constituency) after she was convicted and given a four-year jail term along with Rs.100 crore fine by a trial court in Bengaluru in a disproportionate assets case.

 

 The Karnataka High Court upheld her appeal against the conviction and acquitted her recently.

 

 On May 17, P. Vetrivel, a party legislator representing Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency, resigned from his post and the same was accepted by the speaker. 

 

 It is expected that Jayalalithaa would contest for re-election from Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency.

 

 With Vetrivel's resignation, the AIADMK's strength in the 234-member assembly comes down by one to 150, excluding the speaker.