AIADMK elects Jaya as Leader of Opposition

Chennai, May 29 (UNI) Tthe AIADMK today elected party supremo and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as leader of the legislature party, and thus the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly, even as the House passed a resolution to revoke the suspension of 60 AIADMK MLAs in the Budget session.

Hours after the ruling DMK refused to get the enmasse suspension on the AIADMK MLAs revoked and allow the members to attend the House from tomorrow, the AIADMK Legislators, in an emergent meeting, unanimously elected Ms Jayalalithaa as leader of the legislature party, She will now attend the House as leader of the opposition, replacing her senior colleague O Panneerselvam, one of the 60 MLAs to have been suspended.

Addressing the MLAs at the party headquarters here, Ms Jayalalithaa said though she wanted to keep away from attending the House, she decided to take on the mantle of leader of the opposition as an extraordinary situation had arisen, in the wake of the enmasse suspension of party MLAs.

Ms Jayalalithaa, who took part in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address to the House on May 27, said that she would go to the assembly tomorrow and wind up the debate, the privilege extended to the leader of the opposition, but it is not sure whether she will be allowed to do so.

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