Edappadi K. Palaniswami
18th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
11 May 2021
Deputy
Chief MinisterM. K. Stalin
Preceded byM. K. Stalin
ConstituencyEdappadi
7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
In office
16 February 2017 – 6 May 2021
Governor
CabinetPalaniswami ministry - I
Preceded byO. Panneerselvam
Succeeded byM. K. Stalin
ConstituencyEdappadi
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
23 May 2011
Preceded byV. Kaveri
ConstituencyEdappadi
In office
6 February 1989 – 12 May 1996
Preceded byGovindaswamy
Succeeded byI. Ganesan
ConstituencyEdappadi
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
10 March 1998 – 26 April 1999
Preceded byK. P. Ramalingam
Succeeded byM. Kannappan
ConstituencyTiruchengode
6th General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Assumed office
28 March 2023
Deputy
Preceded byJ. Jayalalithaa
Interim General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
11 July 2022 – 27 March 2023
Deputy
Preceded byV. K. Sasikala (Acting)
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Joint Coordinator of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
21 August 2017 – 23 June 2022
Deputy
CoordinatorO. Panneerselvam
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Puratchi Thalaivar M.G.R. Maaligai Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
8 June 2016 – 12 July 2022
General Secretary
Coordinators
Preceded byP. Palaniappan
Succeeded byS. P. Velumani
Personal details
Born
Palaniswami

(1954-05-12) 12 May 1954[1]
Siluvampalayam, Salem district, Madras State, India
(present-day Tamil Nadu)[1]
Political partyAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
SpouseRatha Palaniswami
ChildrenMithun Kumar (son)
Parents
  • V. Karuppa Gounder (father)
  • Thavasi Ammal (mother)
Residences
Profession
  • Agriculturalist
  • Politician
Awards
Nickname(s)Puratchi Tamilar, Edappadiyaar, E.P.S.

Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami (born 12 May 1954), often referred to by his initials E.P.S., is an Indian politician who is the current leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He served as the seventh chief minister of Tamil Nadu, from 2017 to 2021. He has been the General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) since 28 March 2023. Previously, Palaniswami has served as the interim general secretary (2022-23), joint co-ordinator (2017-22) and headquarters secretary (2016-22) of AIADMK.

Born in 1954 in Salem district in the erstwhile Madras State, Palaniswami became an agriculturalist before entering into politics in 1974. Palaniswami has represented Edappadi since 2011 as Member of the Legislative Assembly, previously also serving from 1989 to 1996. In the 1998 Indian general election he was elected as Member of Parliament of the Lok Sabha representing Tiruchengode. Post the 2011 assembly elections, he served as the minister of highways and minor ports in the Jayalalithaa cabinet. After 2016 assembly elections, he also served as the ministry of public works in the cabinet.

Early and personal life

Palaniswami was born on 12 May 1954 to Karuppa Gounder and Thavasiyammal at Siluvampalayam, Salem district, Madras State (now Tamil Nadu).[1][2] After completing school, he completed B.Sc. from Sri Vasavi College.[3][1] His parents were involved in agriculture and Palaniswami also chose to get involved in the same.[4][5] He has two siblings, a brother Govindraj and a sister Ranjitham. He is married to Ratha and they have a son.[6][4][1]

Political career

Early years (1974-2010)

Palaniswami entered politics in 1974 enrolling himself as a volunteer in All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).[6] He was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989, representing Edappadi constituency, and won the re-election in 1991 from the same constituency.[7][8] He lost from the same consitutency in the 1996 assembly elections.[9] In the 1998 general election, he was elected Member of Parliament, representing Tiruchengodu constituency in the 12th Lok Sabha.[10] He subsequently lost the 1999 and 2004 general elections from the same constituency. He contested from Edappadi again in the 2006 assembly elections and lost.[11] He was appointed propaganda secretary of AIADMK in July 2006 and later as organising secretary in 2007.[12]

Cabinet minister (2011-17)

He was re-elected from Edappadi constituency in the 2011 assembly election.[13] He was appointed as the minister of highways and minor ports in the Jayalalithaa cabinet.[14] He served as the district secretary of AIADMK for Salem suburban district from June 2011 to April 2022.[15][16] In 2014, he was appointed as the member of the disciplinary committee of AIADMK.[17] He was again re-elected from the same constituency in the 2016 assembly election.[18] After 2016 assembly elections, he also served as the ministry of public works in the cabinet.[19] In 2016, he was appointed headquarters secretary of AIADMK, succeeding P. Palaniappan.[20]

Chief minister (2017-21)

Palaniswami in 2018

Palaniswami became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in February 2017, following the resignation of O. Panneerselvam, who was the chief minister in the interim after the demise of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa in December 2016.[21] He was sworn in on 16 February 2017 along with a 32-member cabinet and also held charge of home, prohibition and excise.[22]

In March 2017, he introduced the Kudimaramaththu scheme for restoring minor irrigation tanks and lakes in the state.[23] In May 2018, police opened fire on protests against a copper plant owned by Vedanta that was allegedly polluting groundwater in Thoothukudi, killing 13 people.[24] While the act was later termed as "self-defence" by a one-man commission, the Government of Tamil Nadu ordered the permanent closure of the plant on 28 May 2018.[25][26][27] In August 2019, Palaniswami introduced dedicated patrol vehicles (Amma patrol) to ascertain the security of women and children in public places.[28]

In the 2019 Indian general election, AIADMK under the leadership of Palaniswami, contested in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and won only a single seat.[29][30] In 2019, Palaniswami launched the Yaadhum Oore programme aimed at garnering foreign investment in the state. He visited United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates to promote the same.[31] In February 2020, the Government of Tamil Nadu declared the Kaveri delta region as a protected special agriculture zone.[32][33] In May 2020, the government passed an order for reservation of 7.5% of seats in government medical colleges to students from public schools while also announcing a plan to set up eleven new government medical colleges with 1,650 seats.[34][35][36]

Under his governance, Tamil Nadu was rated amongst the top states based on a composite index in the context of sustainable development according to the Public Affairs Index released by the Public Affairs Center in October 2020.[37] During the coronavirus pandemic, Tamil Nadu was one of the few states that did not register negative growth.[38] Tamil Nadu was ranked as the best performing big state from the year 2018 to 2021 based on a study conducted by India Today.[39][40]

Leader of the opposition (2021-present)

AIADMK lost the 2021 assembly elections and Palaniswami resigned as the chief-minister on 6 May 2021.[41][42][43] He won for the third consecutive time from the Edappadi constituency and was elected as the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.[44][45]

In June 2022, district secretaries and senior party members of AIADMK spoke out against the “dual leadership” system of Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam.[46] The supporters of Palaniswami pushed for the change in the party's leadership structure to appoint him as the general secretary of AIADIMK ahead of the general council meeting on 23 June 2022, which was expected to elect the leadership of the party.[47][48] In June 2022, Palaniswami wrote to Panneerselvam asserting the latter ceased to be the party coordinator as the amendments made to the party's bylaw in the 2021 December executive committee meeting were not recognised in the general council meeting held on 23 June.[49][50]

On 11 July 2022, the general council of AIADMK abolished the dual leadership model, appointing Palaniswami as the interim chief and expelled Panneerselvam and his loyalists from the primary memberships of the party for "anti-party" activities.[51][52][53][54] While on 17 August, the Madras High Court nullified the decisions of the AIADMK general council and ordered maintaining a status quo, a division bench later upheld the decisions and set aside the previous court order on 2 September 2022.[55][56] On 23 February 2023, the Supreme Court of India upheld the later order of the Madras High Court, effectively handing the leadership of the party to Palaniswami.[57] On 28 March 2023, AIADMK announced that Palaniswami was elected as the general secretary through party's general secretary election.[58][59] On 20 April 2023, the Election Commission of India recognised Palaniswami as the general secretary, acknowledging the amendments to the party constitution and changes to list of office-bearers.[60][61] On 20 August 2023, a conference was held at Madurai led by Palaniswami as a part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the founding of AIADMK.[62][63] On 25 September 2023, Palaniswami led AIADMK officially left the National Democratic Alliance ahead of the Next Indian general election.[64][65][66]

In the aftermath of the 2023 Chennai floods, Palaniswami demanded the chief minister of Tamil Nadu to release a white paper on the completed and ongoing stormwater drain work in Chennai and further criticised the state government for the lack of preparedness.[67][68]

Election results

General elections

Elections Constituency Party Result % Votes Opposition Candidate Opposition Party % Votes
1998 Indian general election Tiruchengodu AIADMKWon 54.70 K. P. Ramalingam DMK 40.89
1999 Indian general election Tiruchengodu AIADMKLost 48.53 M. Kannappan MDMK 49.08
2004 Indian general election Tiruchengodu AIADMKLost 37.27 Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan DMK 58.02

Tamil Nadu Legislative elections

Elections Constituency Party Result % Votes Opposition Candidate Opposition Party % Votes
1989 Tamil Nadu Assembly election Edappadi AIADMKWon 33.08 L. Palanisamy DMK 31.62
1991 Tamil Nadu Assembly election Edappadi AIADMKWon 58.24 P. Kolandai Gounder PMK 25.03
1996 Tamil Nadu Assembly election Edappadi AIADMKLost 28.21 I. Ganesan PMK 37.68
2006 Tamil Nadu Assembly election Edappadi AIADMKLost 41.06 V. Kaveri PMK 44.80
2011 Tamil Nadu Assembly election Edappadi AIADMKWon 56.38 M. Karthe PMK 37.66
2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly election Edappadi AIADMKWon 43.74 N. Annadurai PMK 25.12
2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election Edappadi AIADMKWon 65.97 Sampath Kumar DMK 28.04

Awards and honours

Palaniswami was awarded a Honorary Doctorate by Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute in 2019.[69] He was announced as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in July 2020.[70]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edappadi K Palaniswami.

See also


References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Biographical Sketch of Member of 12th Lok Sabha". loksabhaph.nic.in. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "Profile, Palaniswami". Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Honorable Chief Minister, 15th assembly". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 Thangavelu, Dharani (15 February 2017). "Who is Edappadi K. Palaniswami?". Mint. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Mariappan, Julie (13 October 2020). "Edappadi K Palaniswami Mother: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's mother Dhavusayammal dies aged 93". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 Menon, Jaya (3 May 2021). "From jaggery farmer to Tamil Nadu CM, Edappadi K Palaniswami". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  7. ↑ 1989 Tamil Nadu Election Results (PDF) (Report). Election Commission of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  8. ↑ 1991 Tamil Nadu Election Results (PDF) (Report). Election Commission of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  9. ↑ 1996 Election report (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  10. ↑ 1998 General Election Results (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  11. ↑ 2006 Election report (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Edapadi Palanisami is the opposition leader". Puthiya Thalaimurai (in Tamil). 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  13. ↑ 2011 Election report (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "Council of Ministers, Government of Tamil Nadu". Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "Jaya shuffles party posts of functionaries". News18. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "AIADMK organisational polls throw up no surprise". The Hindu. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "tamil-nadu-labour-minister-kp-munusamy-sacked-from-cabinet-two-key-party-posts". The Economic Times. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  18. ↑ 2016 Election report (Report). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "2016 TN Assembly Election – Candidate Affidavit" (PDF). myneta.info. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Jaya restructures AIADMK apex team". Business Standard. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  21. ↑ Saqaf, Syed Muthahar (14 February 2017). "From farmer to CM pick — the rise of a Jaya loyalist". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "Palanisamy takes oath as Chief Minister: Full list of Tamil Nadu Cabinet ministers and their portfolios". India.com. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "Kudimaramathu is back in state". The Hindu. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  24. ↑ Safi, Michael; Karthikeyan, Divya (28 May 2018). "Indian copper plant shut down days after deadly protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  25. ↑ "Sterlite violence: 492 people questioned over 20 phases by Aruna Jagadeesan commission". The New Indian Express. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  26. ↑ Rohit, T. k (28 May 2018). "Sterlite Copper to be permanently closed, says Tamil Nadu government". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  27. ↑ Thangavelu, Dharani (28 May 2018). "Tamil Nadu govt orders permanent shutdown of Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi". Mint. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  28. ↑ "Tamil Nadu rolls out Amma Patrol vehicles to check crimes against women, kids". Indian Express. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  29. ↑ Ramakrishnan, T.; Kumar, D. Suresh (12 January 2021). "People's reception gives us confidence that we will win a majority, says Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Palaniswami". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  30. ↑ 18. Partywise Seat Won Valid Votes Polled in Each State. Election Commission of India (Report). 11 October 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  31. ↑ "After tapping silicon valley, TN eyes Tamil diaspora in 38 countries". The New Indian Express. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  32. ↑ "Cauvery delta to be declared a protected agriculture zone". The Hindu. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  33. ↑ "Tamil Nadu declares Cauvery delta a protected agricultural zone". Hindustan Times. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Tamil Nadu Govt Passes Order for 7.5% Quota in Medical Admissions for Govt School Students". News18. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  35. ↑ "Tamil Nadu govt to set up medical colleges in 11 districts, add 1,650 seats". Business Standard. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  36. ↑ "Tamil Nadu has 3,400 MBBS seats now and will add 1,650 in future: CM". The Hindu. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  37. ↑ "Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa best governed States: report". The Hindu. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  38. ↑ Menon, Amarnath (27 November 2021). "Best performing big state overall: Tamil Nadu". India Today. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  39. ↑ "T.N. tops in 'State of the States' study". The Hindu. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  40. ↑ "Tamil Nadu bags best performer award, again". The New Indian Express. 28 November 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  41. ↑ "TN CM Palaniswami resigns, Guv accepts it; dissolves Assembly". India Today. PTI. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  42. ↑ "EPS quits as CM, flurry of resignations at Secretariat". DT next. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  43. ↑ "Edappadi K. Palaniswami elected AIADMK legislature party leader". The Hindu. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  44. ↑ Mariappan, Julie (10 May 2021). "Edappadi K Palaniswami to be leader of opposition in Tamil Nadu assembly". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  45. ↑ "Edappadi Palaniswami elected as Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly". The New Indian Express. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  46. ↑ "More voices emerge in favour of unitary leadership in AIADMK". The Hindu. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  47. ↑ "Tamil Nadu: Can united front of the AIADMK survive?". The Times of India. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  48. ↑ "EPS vs OPS: AIADMK grapples with internecine struggle for party control". The New Indian Express. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  49. ↑ "Tamil Nadu: Indicating OPS is no longer AIADMK coordinator, EPS says his letter on local body polls invalid". Indian Express. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  50. ↑ "You are no longer AIADMK coordinator, EPS tells OPS". Hindustan Times. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  51. ↑ "AIADMK Tussle: Court Setback For OPS, Rival EPS Takes Charge". NDTV. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  52. ↑ "OPS Expelled from AIADMK Through Special Resolution After EPS Takes Control of Party". News18. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  53. ↑ "AIADMK Tussle: EPS Is New Boss, Rival OPS Expelled". NDTV. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  54. ↑ "AIADMK general council anoints Edappadi K Palaniswami as party interim general secretary". The Times of India. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  55. ↑ R. Sivakumar (17 August 2022). "OPS wins legal battle in Madras HC, dual leadership to continue in AIADMK for now". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  56. ↑ S, Mohamed Imranullah (2 September 2022). "AIADMK leadership tussle: Division Bench of Madras High Court reverses earlier order in favour of OPS". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  57. ↑ "Supreme Court rejects Paneerselvam's plea, Palaniswamy to continue as AIADMK general secretary". Indian Express. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  58. ↑ Mariappan, Julie (28 March 2023). "EPS becomes AIADMK general secretary; OPS petition rejected in Madras HC". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  59. ↑ S, Mohamed Imranullah (28 March 2023). "Madras High Court rejects expelled AIADMK leaders' interim applications against party's 2022 general council resolutions". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  60. ↑ AIADMK Amended Constitution dated 20.04.2023 (Report). Election Commission of India. 20 April 2023.
  61. ↑ "Election Commission of India recognises Edappadi K. Palaniswami as AIADMK general secretary". The Hindu. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  62. ↑ "AIADMK golden jubilee conference kicks off in Madurai". The Hindu. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  63. ↑ "Palaniswami inaugurates AIADMK's Madurai conference". Deccan Herald. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  64. ↑ "AIADMK severs ties with BJP-led NDA alliance, to lead separate front for 2024 Lok Sabha polls". The Telegraph. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  65. ↑ "AIADMK severs ties with BJP-led NDA; to form front to fight 2024 LS polls". Deccan Herald. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  66. ↑ "AIADMK snaps ties with BJP-led NDA alliance ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". The Indian Express. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  67. ↑ "Cyclone Michaung:Palaniswami holds Stalin responsible for 'lack of preparedness'". The Hindu. 10 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  68. ↑ "Cyclone Michaung; AIADMK calls for release of white paper on stormwater drain work in Chennai". The Hindu. 7 December 2023. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  69. ↑ "Honorary doctorate conferred on EPS". Indian Express. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  70. ↑ "EPS honoured with Paul Harris Fellow recognition". Indian Express. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
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