Panneerselvam India’s first ‘tea-seller’ CM

Chennai: For 63-year-old “OPS”, this will be his second term as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He became the first tea-seller to become a CM in India — long before Narendra Modi achieved this in Gujarat when Ms Jayalalithaa chose him as a “stopgap” after the SC made her step down due to her conviction in the Tansi land case in 2001. She returned to the seat after getting acquitted on appeal.

By ensuring he stayed clear of any controversy then and guaranteeing absolute loyalty to her, he became a natural choice as a safe successor now.