India: Jayalaitha aide to take over as Tamil Nadu chief minister

India's southern Tamil Nadu state is to have another
 female chief minister, two months after one of India's 
most influential politicians, J Jayalalitha.

The ruling AIADMK party said Sasikala Natarajan 
would become the next chief minister following the resignation of the acting chief minister.

A confidante of Jayalalitha, Sasikala was appointed as
 the general secretary of the party after the latter's death.

Her rise to the top has been rumoured ever since.

"She is the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Like
 Amma (mother), we wanted a strong woman leader to 
serve the people," party spokesperson CR Saraswathi told
 AFP news agency, referring to Jayalalithaa by her popular nickname.

O Panneerselvam, who had been filling in as chief
 minister since October when Jayalalitha was hospitalised, said he  stepped down for "personal reasons".

But Tamil Nadu's main opposition party has criticised
 the decision.

"The people of Tamil Nadu did not vote for anyone
 from Jayalalitha's household to become CM," opposition
 leader MK Stalin tweeted, using the acronym for chief minister.

For close to three decades, Sasikala, known as Chinnamma
(younger mother) to her supporters, had been an almost
permanent fixture in Jayalalitha's life, and was often seen 
with the former chief minister on public platforms.

Never given any formal role by Jayalalitha in the party or
 the state government, Sasikala's role was always that of
 aide and confidante.

But analysts say her proximity to power allowed her and 
her extended family to wield huge influence in the party
 and the government.

Sasikala's influence over Jayalalitha also became the 
source of intense media speculation and tabloid gossip.

They also faced corruption charges. A Karnataka high 
court order in 2015, which cleared them of involvement 
in a corruption scandal, paved the way for Jayalalitha's
 return to power after a setback in September 2014 when
 a trial court found them guilty of corruption.

India's Supreme Court has heard an appeal in the same
 case, and has reserved its verdict.