Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Edappadi K. Palaniswami (born 12 May 1954), also known as E.P.S., is an Indian politician and the leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.[5] He served as the 7th chief minister of Tamil Nadu, from 2017 to 2021. He has been the Interim General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Since 11 July 2022,[1] which was upheld by the Madras High Court on 2 September 2022.[3][2] Palaniswami served as the Joint Coordinator of the AIADMK from 2017 to 2022. He also served as the Headquarters Secretary of the AIADMK from 2014 to 2022.[6]
Edappadi K. Palaniswami | |||||||||||||
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| 18th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |||||||||||||
| Assumed office 11 May 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Deputy | R. B. Udhayakumar | ||||||||||||
| Speaker | M. Appavu | ||||||||||||
| Preceded by | M. K. Stalin | ||||||||||||
| 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | |||||||||||||
| In office 16 February 2017 – 6 May 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Governor |
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| Cabinet | Palaniswami ministry | ||||||||||||
| Preceded by | O. Panneerselvam | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | M. K. Stalin | ||||||||||||
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| Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |||||||||||||
| Assumed office 23 May 2011 | |||||||||||||
| Preceded by | V. Kaveri | ||||||||||||
| Constituency | Edappadi | ||||||||||||
| In office 6 February 1989 – 12 May 1996 | |||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Govindaswamy | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | I. Ganesan | ||||||||||||
| Constituency | Edappadi | ||||||||||||
| Minister of Highways and Minor Ports, Tamil Nadu | |||||||||||||
| In office 16 May 2011 – 6 May 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Chief Minister | |||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Vellakoil Saminathan | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | E. V. Velu | ||||||||||||
| Minister of Public Works, Tamil Nadu | |||||||||||||
| In office 23 May 2016 – 6 May 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Chief Minister | |||||||||||||
| Preceded by | J. Jayalalithaa | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | E. V. Velu | ||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |||||||||||||
| In office 10 March 1998 – 26 April 1999 | |||||||||||||
| Preceded by | K. P. Ramalingam | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | M. Kannappan | ||||||||||||
| Constituency | Tiruchengodu, Tamil Nadu | ||||||||||||
| Interim General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |||||||||||||
| Assumed office 11 July 2022[1][2] | |||||||||||||
| Deputy | |||||||||||||
| Preceded by | V. K. Sasikala (temporary) | ||||||||||||
| Joint Coordinator of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |||||||||||||
| In office 21 August 2017 – 23 June 2022[3] | |||||||||||||
| Deputy | |||||||||||||
| Coordinator | O. Panneerselvam | ||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Position abolished | ||||||||||||
| Headquarters Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |||||||||||||
| In office 2014–2022 | |||||||||||||
| General Secretary | |||||||||||||
| Headquarters Manager | P. Mahalingam | ||||||||||||
| Preceded by | K. A. Sengottaiyan | ||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | S. P. Velumani | ||||||||||||
| Organizing Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |||||||||||||
| In office 2007–2014 | |||||||||||||
| General Secretary | J. Jayalalithaa | ||||||||||||
| Propaganda Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |||||||||||||
| In office 2006–2007 | |||||||||||||
| General Secretary | J. Jayalalithaa | ||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||
| Pronunciation | Edappadi Karuppana Gounder Palanisamy | ||||||||||||
| Born | 12 May 1954 Siluvampalayam, Madras State (now in Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India)[4] | ||||||||||||
| Political party | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | ||||||||||||
| Spouse | Radha | ||||||||||||
| Children | Mithun Kumar (Only son) | ||||||||||||
| Parents |
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| Residences |
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| Profession |
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| Awards |
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| Nickname(s) | E.P.S., Edappadiyaar | ||||||||||||
Palaniswami has represented Edappadi since 2011 as Member of the Legislative Assembly, previously serving from 1989 to 1996. In the 1998 Indian general election he was elected as Member of Parliament of the Lok Sabha representing Tiruchengode.
When AIADMK won the 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, he was given a ministerial berth by J. Jayalalithaa and served as the Minister of Highways and Minor Ports on 16 May 2011 for the government of Tamil Nadu. After 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election victory, he was given the additional responsibility of Ministry of Public Works by J. Jayalalithaa.
Personal life
Palaniswami was born on 12 May 1954[4] to Karuppa Gounder and Thavasiyammal at Siluvampalayam, Salem, Madras State, India (now in Tamil Nadu, India).[4][7][8] His parents were farmers. After completing school, he enrolled for B.Sc. degree in Sri Vasavi College but did not graduate. He was the students union leader at college. He has a brother Govindraj and a sister Ranjitham.[9] He is married to Ratha Palaniswami and has one son and is an agriculturalist by occupation.[10][4][7]
Political career
Palaniswami entered politics as a volunteer for the AIADMK in 1974.[10] Later he became the key member of the party in Salem district. He was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989, representing Edappadi constituency, and won re-election in 1991.[11][12] He was elected Member of Parliament, representing Tiruchengodu constituency in the 12th Lok Sabha. He emerged a dominant force in the AIADMK in the Western belt during late 1990s. He was appointed Propaganda Secretary in July 2006 and Organizing Secretary in 2007.[13] He was elected from Edappadi constituency in 2011[14][15] and 2016[16] when the AIADMK emerged as a ruling party. He slowly gained prominence as one of the strong confidants of J.Jayalalithaa along with O. Paneerselvam and Dindigul C.Sreenivasan. He served as the Minister of Highways and Minor Ports in the J. Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam and in his own ministry from 2011. In 2014, he was appointed headquarters secretary of Aiadmk, by succeeding K. A. Sengottaiyan.[6]
Chief Minister, 2017-2021
Palaniswami became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in February 2017,[17] following the resignation of O. Panneerselvam, who became chief minister after the demise of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa who won the 2016 Legislative Assembly election as CM candidate of AIADMK. He was sworn in on 16 February 2017 before a crowd of party workers, along with his 32-member cabinet. Palaniswami also holds the charge of Home, Prohibition & Excise Departments along with the other portfolios normally held by the Chief Ministers, and not mentioned elsewhere. He is elected from Edappadi constituency. During his reign, he introduced various schemes like Kudimaramaththu Work, FAME India scheme and Amma Patrol in Tamil Nadu to ascertain the security of women and children in public places.
In May 2018, police opened fire on protests against a Sterlite plant that was polluting local groundwater in Thoothukudi, killing 13 people. While ordering a one-man commission into the violence, Palaniswami also declared the shootings were in "self-defence."[18]
On 28 May, Palaniswami led Tamil Nadu Government ordered the permanent closure of the Sterlite Copper plant. “The Amma government has issued an order to have the Sterlite plant closed down permanently in deference to the sentiments of the people of Thoothukudi,” then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami told journalists in the evening after chairing a meeting of his party legislators at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai.[19][20][21]
However, during the 2019 elections, AIADMK contested in alliance with the BJP and was swept out of parliament when the DMK-led alliance won 38 out of 39 seats in the state.[22]
In 2019 he went on a 13-day tour in the United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates to promote foreign investment in Tamil Nadu. While there he launched the Yaadhum Oore programme (lit. all countries, based on Puranauru 192) to encourage the Tamil diaspora to re-invest in Tamil Nadu, in the same line as other states with large NRI populations such as Kerala.[23] During trip he secured 3 lakh crores worth of foreign investment, a greater amount than even his predecessor Jayalalithaa did.
In February 2020, Palaniswami led Tamil Nadu government declared the Cauvery delta region as a Protected Special Agriculture Zone. The announcement was widely hailed by political parties and farmers organisations.[24][25][26]
In 2020, Palaniswami led AIADMK government passed order for 7.5% Quota in Medical Admissions for Govt. School Students.[27] He took action to set up government medical colleges in newly formed 11 districts which offered 1,650 more seats to then existing 3,400 seats.[28][29]
Under his governance, Tamil Nadu was rated as the best governed state based on a composite index in the context of sustainable development according to the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre in Oct. 2020. Palaniswami is also praised for his administration during the coronavirus pandemic. Tamil Nadu was one of the few states that did not register negative growth in the period of pandemic.
During his regime, Tamil Nadu was the best performing big state overall from the year 2018 to 2021. With a gross state domestic product of $290 billion or Rs 21.6 lakh crore, Tamil Nadu became India's second-largest economy.[30][31][32]
In 2020, the study “States of the State” of India Today, said that Palaniswami led Tamil Nadu has topped in 11 categories from a total of 12, including economy, tourism, infrastructure, inclusive development, law and order, along with entrepreneurship, cleanliness, environment, health, education and agriculture. Tamil Nadu had been chosen for this recognition for the third consecutive year.[32]
On 3 May 2021, Palaniswami resigned as Chief Minister following AIADMK's defeat in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Election.[33][34]
Leader of the Opposition, 2021
After the party lost the assembly elections in May 2021, Palaniswami won the Edappadi constituency and was elected as the Leader Of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.[35][36]
Leadership Tussle with O. Panneerselvam, 2022
On 14 June 2022, citing the party's troubles in the polls, AIADMK district secretaries and other senior party members spoke out to shun the “dual leadership” system and came out publicly in favor of strong unitary leader to strengthen the organisation.
Edappadi K. Palaniswami supporters pushed for the change in the party's leadership structure by staging a political coup against AIADMK Coordinator O. Panneerselvam, who had become weak within the party. According to many sources, of the AIADMK’s 75 district secretaries, hardly 10 supported him. Of the party’s 66 MLAs, only five MLAs were reportedly on O. Panneerselvam side and less than 20 percent of the party’s general council members behind him ahead of crucial general council meeting on 23 June 2022, which was expected to elect the single leadership to the party.[37][38][39]
On 23 June 2022, A. Tamil Magan Hussain was unanimously elected as the Presidium Chairman of the party at a general council meeting held at the Shrivaaru Venkatachalapathy Palace in Vanagaram, Chennai.[40]
On 30 June 2022, Edappadi K. Palaniswami wrote a letter to O. Panneerselvam asserting the latter ceased to be the party coordinator as the amendments made to the party’s bylaw in the 2020 December executive committee meeting were not recognised in the general council meeting held on 23 June.[41][42]
General Secretary of AIADMK
On 11 July 2022, The Party General Council abolished the dual leadership model and empowered Edappadi K. Palaniswami to be the Party Supremo.[43] The General Council also expelled the Treasurer O. Panneerselvam and his loyalists R. Vaithilingam, P. H. Manoj Pandian, J. C. D. Prabhakar from their respective posts and primary memberships of the party for "anti-party" activities.[44][45][46]
On 11 July 2022, Edappadi K. Palaniswami was unanimously elected as the Interim General Secretary of the party at a general council meeting held at the Shrivaaru Venkatachalapathy Palace in Vanagaram, Chennai.[1] On 17 August, the Madras High Court however nullified the decisions of the AIADMK General Council and ordered mainitaing the staus quo as on 23 June 2022.[47]
On 2 September 2022, a division bench of the Madras High Court upheld the decisions of the AIADMK general council meeting held on 11 June 2022 and set aside the previous court order of the single judge in the appeal case of Edappadi K. Palaniswami, thus effectively restoring unitary leadership.[3][2]
Elections contested and positions held
Lok Sabha elections
| Elections | Constituency | Party | Result | Vote percentage | Opposition Candidate | Opposition Party | Opposition vote percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Indian general election | Tiruchengodu | AIADMK | Won | 54.70 | K. P. Ramalingam | DMK | 40.89 |
| 1999 Indian general election | Tiruchengodu | AIADMK | Lost | 48.53 | M. Kannappan | MDMK | 49.08 |
| 2004 Indian general election | Tiruchengodu | AIADMK | Lost | 37.27 | Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan | DMK | 58.02 |
Tamil Nadu Legislative elections
| Elections | Constituency | Party | Result | Vote percentage | Opposition Candidate | Opposition Party | Opposition vote percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election | Edappadi | AIADMK | Won | 33.08 | L. Palanisamy | DMK | 31.62 |
| 1991 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election | Edappadi | AIADMK | Won | 58.24 | P. Kolandai Gounder | PMK | 25.03 |
| 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election | Edappadi | AIADMK | Lost | 28.21 | I. Ganesan | PMK | 37.68 |
| 2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election | Edappadi | AIADMK | Lost | 41.06 | V. Kaveri | PMK | 44.80 |
| 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election | Edappadi | AIADMK | Won | 56.38 | M. Karthe | PMK | 37.66 |
| 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election | Edappadi | AIADMK | Won | 43.74 | N. Annadurai | PMK | 25.12 |
| 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election | Edappadi | AIADMK | Won | 65.97 | Sampath Kumar | DMK | 28.04 |
Posts in Parliament of India
| Constituency | Position | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiruchengodu | Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | 10 March 1998 | 26 April 1999 |
Posts in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
| Constituency | Position | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edappadi | Member of Legislative Assembly | 6 February 1989 | 12 May 1996 |
| Member of Legislative Assembly | 23 May 2011 | present | |
| Minister of Highways and Minor Ports | 16 May 2011 | 22 May 2016 | |
| Minister of Highways and Minor Ports and Minister of Public Works | 23 May 2016 | 6 May 2021 | |
| Chief Minister | 17 February 2017 | 6 May 2021 | |
| Leader of the Opposition | 11 May 2021 | Incumbent |
See also
References
- ^ a b c "AIADMK general council anoints Edappadi K Palaniswami as party interim general secretary". The Times of India. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b c "அதிமுக பொதுக்குழு செல்லும்; தனி நீதிபதி உத்தரவு ரத்து". News7 Tamil. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Biographical Sketch of Member of 12th Lok Sabha". loksabhaph.nic.in. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- ^ "Edappadi K Palaniswami to be leader of opposition in Tamil Nadu assembly". Julie Mariappan. The Times of India. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ a b "அதிமுக முதல்வர் வேட்பாளராக ஜெயலலிதாவுக்கு பிறகு பழனிசாமி: சிலுவம்பாளையம் கிளை செயலாளராக தொடங்கிய பயணம்". hindutamil (in Tamil). 8 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ a b Thangavelu, Dharani (15 February 2017). "Who is Edappadi K. Palaniswami?". Mint. from the original on 13 March 2017.
- ^ Profile, from the original on 17 February 2017
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "From jaggery farmer to Tamil Nadu CM, Edappadi K Palaniswami". Jaya Menon. The Times of India. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "1989 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 6 October 2010.
- ^ "1991 Tamil Nadu Election Results, Election Commission of India" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2016.
- ^ "அடிப்படை உறுப்பினர் முதல் எதிர்க்கட்சித் தலைவர் வரை: அதிமுகவில் இபிஎஸ் வகித்த பதவிகள்!". puthiyathalaimurai (in Tamil). 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2013.
- ^ . Govt. of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011.
- ^ "2016 TN Assembly Election – Candidate Affidavit" (PDF). myneta.info. (PDF) from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ Saqaf, Syed Muthahar (14 February 2017). "From farmer to CM pick — the rise of a Jaya loyalist". The Hindu. from the original on 15 February 2017 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "Sterlite violence: 492 people questioned over 20 phases by Aruna Jagadeesan commission". The New Indian Express. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ Rohit, T. k (28 May 2018). "Sterlite Copper to be permanently closed, says Tamil Nadu government". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Safi, Michael; Karthikeyan, Divya (28 May 2018). "Indian copper plant shut down days after deadly protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Thangavelu, Dharani (28 May 2018). "Tamil Nadu govt orders permanent shutdown of Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi". Live Mint. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "After tapping silicon valley, TN eyes Tamil diaspora in 38 countries". The New Indian Express. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Cauvery delta to be declared a protected agriculture zone". The Hindu. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu declares Cauvery delta a protected agricultural zone". hindustan times. 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Rules notified for Delta Agri Zone Act". new indian express. 27 August 2020.
- ^ PTI (29 October 2020). "Tamil Nadu Govt Passes Order for 7.5% Quota in Medical Admissions for Govt School Students". News18. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ IANS (26 October 2020). "Tamil Nadu govt to set up medical colleges in 11 districts, add 1,650 seats". Business Standard. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Menon, Amarnath (27 November 2021). "Best performing big state overall: Tamil Nadu". India Today. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "T.N. tops in 'State of the States' study". The Hindu. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Tamil Nadu bags best performer award, again". New Indian Express. 28 November 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "TN CM Palaniswami resigns, Guv accepts it; dissolves Assembly". India Today. PTI. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "EPS quits as CM, flurry of resignations at Secretariat". DT next. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Edappadi Palaniswami elected as Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly". The New Indian Express. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Edappadi K. Palaniswami elected AIADMK legislature party leader". The Hindu. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu: Can united front of the AIADMK survive?". The Times of India. 20 June 2022.
- ^ "EPS vs OPS: AIADMK grapples with internecine struggle for party control". The New Indian Express. 19 June 2022.
- ^ "More voices emerge in favour of unitary leadership in AIADMK". The Hindu. 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Who Is Tamil Magan Hussain? One Of AIADMK Founding Members Who Is Now Party Presidium Chairman". abplive. 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Tamil Nadu: Indicating OPS is no longer AIADMK coordinator, EPS says his letter on local body polls invalid". indianexpress. 30 June 2022.
- ^ "You are no longer AIADMK coordinator, EPS tells OPS". hindustantimes. 1 July 2022.
- ^ "AIADMK Tussle: Court Setback For OPS, Rival EPS Takes Charge". ndtv. 11 July 2022.
- ^ "அதிமுகவிலிருந்து ஓபிஎஸ் அனைத்து பதவிகளிலிருந்தும் நீக்கம்!". news18 tamil (in Tamil). 11 July 2022.
- ^ "OPS Expelled from AIADMK Through Special Resolution After EPS Takes Control of Party". news18. 11 July 2022.
- ^ "AIADMK Tussle: EPS Is New Boss, Rival OPS Expelled". ndtv. 11 July 2022.
- ^ 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.
External links
- Official Biographical Sketch in Lok Sabha Website
- Official Biographical Sketch in Tamil Nadu Assembly Website
- Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Twitter