Incumbent Chief Minister K Palaniswami will be the Chief Ministerial candidate of the AIADMK for the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, party top leader and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced here on Wednesday.

Party co-coordinator Palaniswami announced the constitution of a 11-member steering committee which includes Ministers Dindigul C Sreenivasan, P Thangamani, and S P Velumani.

Addressing a crowded press conference along with Palaniswami and other senior leaders at the party headquarters, AIADMK coordinator Panneerselvam said: ”I am happy to announce that our dear brother Palaniswami will be the victorious Chief Ministerial candidate of the AIADMK for the 2021 Assembly elections.” The decision has been taken unanimously in consultations led by party presidium chairman E Madusudanan, he said.

Apart from him, Palaniswami, party deputy coordinators K P Munusamy, R Vaithilingam and members of the Steering Committee have unanimously resolved to nominate Palaniswami as the AIADMK’s Chief Ministerial candidate, he announced amid thunderous applause.

The much-awaited twin announcements have brought the curtain down on speculations over the CM candidate of the ruling party and ended intra-party differences over setting up the panel.