All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader J Jayalalitha, 63, was yesterday sworn-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister for a third time. She was administered the oath by Governor Surjit Singh Barnala at a packed hall in Madras University as thousands lined up the nearby roads. Jayalalitha will head a 34-member government in the 14th Tamil Nadu assembly.

Barnala also administered oath of office to the other ministers, days after the AIADMK-led alliance dealt a crushing blow to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by veteran M Karunanidhi. Senior politicians including Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu as well as Tamil film personalities were present at the event. The swearing-in ceremony was also attended by Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A B Bardhan, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) leaders A Vijayakanth and Panrutti S Ramachandran, Samathuva Makkal Katchi (SMK) leader R Sarathkumar and his wife Radhika and political commentator Cho Ramaswamy.