Chennai: Edappadi K. Palaniswami has been sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Thursday putting an end to the political turmoil that prevailed in the state for nearly a fortnight.

The Number-3 in the late J. Jayalalithaa's cabinent since his induction in 2012, Palaniswami was picked by Sasikala after she was convicted by the Supreme Court in disproportionate assets case on Tuesday. An avowed loyalist to both Amma and Chinnamma, Palaniswami joined the party as a student leader during the 1980s and has been elected from Edappadi in Selam district for a fourth time in 2015.

Palaniswami kept the major portfolios such as Home and Finance among a total of 19 departments and appointed 31 ministers among whom four are women.

KA Sengottiyan, another probable for the CM post before the choice was zeroed in on Palani, is given school education, sports and youth welfare, C. Srinivasan, forests, K. Raju, co-operation, P. Thangamani, electricity, excise and prohibition, C. Vijayabhaskar, health & family welfare, R. Doraikkannu, agriculture, Kadambur Raju, information & publicity, RB Udhayakumar, revenue, N. Natarajan, tourism, KC Veeramani, commercial taxes, KT Rajenthra Bhalaji, milk and daily development, P. Benjamin, rural industries, Dr. Nilofer Kafeel, labour, MR Vijayabaskar, transport, M. Manikandan, information technology and VM Rajalakshmi is Minister for Adi Dravida & Tribal Welfare.

However, Sasikala's close kin Dinakaran, who was appointed by her as the deputy general secretary of the party as her proxy in her absence, is not inducted into the cabinet though there were rumors suggesting his anointment as minister during the day.

Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao administered the oath of confidence with the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues at Raj Bhavan.

In view of a counter-claim by the former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to form the government, the Governor has asked the new Chief Minister to prove his strength on the floor of the Assembly within 15 days. According to party sources, the floor test may be conducted on Monday.