BSc dropout to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: A look at the rise of Edappadi K Palaniswami

Palaniswami remains an influential figure and his sway over the dominant Gounder community in Tamil Nadu will be key to victory in the coming polls

Edappadi K Palaniswami was appointed as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 2017, following the death of erstwhile CM J Jayalalithaa. Starting into politics in 1974, Palanaswami's road to the state's helm has been a long one.

Despite being associated with the M G Ramachandran-founded party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for nearly 40 years, the 66-year old was never a part of the party's top brass.

Eddapadi K Palaniswami was born on May 12, 1954 to Karuppa Gounder (father) and Thavasi Ammal (mother) at a village in Salem district, situated in western Tamil Nadu. Having finished his school education, he pursued a BSc degree from Vasavi College in Erode but did not complete it. Before entering politics many sources claim that he was an agriculturist by profession, while one says that he was specifically a jaggery trader and went by the moniker of 'Jaggery Palaniswami.'

Palaniswami is believed to have joined politics in 1974 with the AIADMK. He won his election debut in the 1989 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, vying for the Edappadi seat.

He won the 1991 Assembly polls as well from the same constituency but then lost the 1996 Tamil Nadu polls.

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Following the loss, EPS, as he is popularly known, contested the 1998 Lok Sabha elections from Tiruchengodu and won but subsequently lost the 1999 and 2004 General Elections from the same seat.

EPS marked his return to Tamil Nadu politics albeit on a sour note, having lost from his home turf Eddapadi in 2006. He clawed back in the polls that followed in 2011 and 2016.

Until ascending to the Chief Minister post in 2017, his most notable role was as the Minister of Highways and Minor Ports in 2011 and 2016 under the late Jayalilthaa's cabinet.

Confidant of Jayalalithaa

EPS's allegiance to Jayalalithaa goes back all the way to 1987 amid the political turmoil that ensued after MGR's demise. Palaniswami pledged his alliance to Jayalilthaa after the AIADMK split into two factions — one backing Jayalalithaa, and another supporting MGR's wife V M Janaki, who eventually became the first woman CM of Tamil Nadu.

That he was born a Gounder, one of the state's prominent communities, had not just helped in his election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly but helped Jayalalithaa return to power for a second consecutive term in 2016. The AIADMK in fact won 10 of the 11 seats in EPS's home district given his popularity among the Gounders.

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Palaniswami remains an influential figure, and his sway over the dominant Gounder community in Tamil Nadu will be key to his party's victory in the 2021 Assembly polls on April 6.

Tenure as CM so far

Palaniswami's tenure as CM has been one rife with controversy. His handling of the protests against the Vedanta's Sterlite Copper Plant in Thoothukudi stands out as a blot in his four-year term. The incident, which took place in May 2018 saw police open fire at protesters, killing 13, and injuring many. EPS had defended the proceedings, saying that the cops fired at protesters in self defence.

In the political front, EPS has formally announced an alliance with the BJP, an act that Jayalalithaa or Amma was opposed to doing. However, EPS has managed to keep the AIADMK flock together and prevented a rise of factionalism in the party which had taken place while Jayalalithaa was hospitalised.