Edappadi K. Palaniswami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edappadi K. Palaniswami
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| 18th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 11 May 2021 |
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| Deputy |
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| Chief Minister | M. K. Stalin |
| Preceded by | M. K. Stalin |
| Constituency | Edappadi |
| 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | |
| In office 16 February 2017 – 6 May 2021 |
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| Governor |
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| Cabinet | Palaniswami ministry |
| Preceded by | O. Panneerselvam |
| Succeeded by | M. K. Stalin |
| Constituency | Edappadi |
| Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 23 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | V. Kaveri |
| Constituency | Edappadi |
| In office 6 February 1989 – 12 May 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Govindaswamy |
| Succeeded by | I. Ganesan |
| Constituency | Edappadi |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 10 March 1998 – 26 April 1999 |
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| Preceded by | K. P. Ramalingam |
| Succeeded by | M. Kannappan |
| Constituency | Tiruchengode |
| 6th General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| Assumed office 28 March 2023 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | J. Jayalalithaa |
| Interim General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| In office 11 July 2022 – 27 March 2023 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | V. K. Sasikala (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Joint Coordinator of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| In office 21 August 2017 – 23 June 2022 |
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| Deputy |
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| Coordinator | O. Panneerselvam |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Headquarters Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | |
| In office 8 June 2016 – 12 July 2022 |
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| General Secretary |
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| Coordinators |
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| Preceded by | P. Palaniappan |
| Succeeded by | S. P. Velumani |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Palaniswami
12 May 1954 Siluvampalayam, Salem district, Madras State, India (present-day Tamil Nadu) |
| Political party | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| Spouse | Ratha Palaniswami |
| Children | 1 |
| Residences |
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| Profession |
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| Awards |
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| Nicknames | Puratchi Tamilar, Edappadiyaar, E.P.S. |
Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami (born 12 May 1954), often called E.P.S., is an Indian politician. He is currently the leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He was the 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from 2017 to 2021.
He has been the main leader (General Secretary) of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) political party since March 28, 2023. Before this, Palaniswami held other important roles in AIADMK. He was the interim general secretary (2022–23), joint co-ordinator (2017–22), and headquarters secretary (2016–22).
Palaniswami was born in 1954 in Salem district in the old Madras State. He worked as an agriculturalist before joining politics in 1974. He has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Edappadi since 2011. He also served as an MLA from 1989 to 1996. In 1998, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lok Sabha (India's lower house of Parliament).
After the 2011 elections, he became the minister of highways and minor ports. After the 2016 elections, he also became the minister of public works.
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Early Life and Family
Palaniswami was born on May 12, 1954. His parents, Karuppa Gounder and Thavasiyammal, lived in Siluvampalayam, Salem district, which is now part of Tamil Nadu.
After finishing school, he studied for a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree at Sri Vasavi College. His parents were farmers, and Palaniswami also chose to work in agriculture. He is married to Ratha and they have one son.
His Journey in Politics
Starting Out (1974-2010)
Palaniswami began his political journey in 1974. He joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party as a volunteer.
He was first elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989. He represented the Edappadi area. He won again from the same area in 1991. In 1998, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the 12th Lok Sabha. He represented the Tiruchengodu area.
He later became the propaganda secretary of AIADMK in 2006. In 2007, he became an organizing secretary for the party.
Becoming a Cabinet Minister (2011-2017)
Palaniswami was re-elected as an MLA from Edappadi in 2011. He was then made the minister of highways and minor ports. This was part of the cabinet led by J. Jayalalithaa.
He was re-elected again from Edappadi in 2016. After this, he also became the minister of public works. In 2016, he was appointed as the headquarters secretary of AIADMK.
Serving as Chief Minister (2017-2021)
Palaniswami became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in February 2017. This happened after the previous chief minister, O. Panneerselvam, resigned. He took his oath on February 16, 2017, with a cabinet of 32 members. He was also in charge of departments like home and excise.
In March 2017, he started the Kudimaramaththu scheme. This plan aimed to fix and restore small irrigation tanks and lakes in the state.
In May 2018, there were protests against a copper plant in Thoothukudi. People said the plant was polluting water. The government later ordered the plant to be permanently closed.
His government was praised for how it handled Cyclone Gaja in November 2018. They were well-prepared and helped people affected by the storm. In August 2019, Palaniswami launched Amma patrol vehicles. These vehicles were for ensuring the safety of women and children in public places.
In 2019, Palaniswami started the Yaadhum Oore program. This program aimed to attract foreign investment to Tamil Nadu. He visited countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates to promote this.
In February 2020, his government declared the Kaveri delta region as a protected special agriculture zone. This meant the area would be protected for farming. In May 2020, the government reserved 7.5% of seats in government medical colleges for students from public schools. They also planned to open eleven new government medical colleges.
Under his leadership, Tamil Nadu was ranked among the top states for sustainable development in October 2020. During the coronavirus pandemic, Tamil Nadu was one of the few states that did not see a decrease in growth. Tamil Nadu was also ranked as the best performing large state from 2018 to 2021 by a study from India Today.
As Leader of the Opposition (2021–Present)
The AIADMK party lost the 2021 state elections. Palaniswami then resigned as chief minister on May 6, 2021. He won his seat from Edappadi for the third time in a row. He was then chosen as the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
In July 2022, Palaniswami was appointed as the interim chief of AIADMK. The party's general council also removed O. Panneerselvam from the party. In March 2023, AIADMK announced that Palaniswami was elected as the General Secretary of the party. The Election Commission of India officially recognized him as the General Secretary in April 2023.
In August 2023, Palaniswami led a big conference in Madurai. This was part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of AIADMK's founding. In September 2023, AIADMK officially left the National Democratic Alliance. This happened before the 2024 general election.
After the 2023 Chennai floods, Palaniswami asked the chief minister of Tamil Nadu to provide a report on the stormwater drain work in Chennai. He also said the state government was not prepared for the floods. In the 2024 general election, the AIADMK-led alliance did not win any seats.
Awards and Recognitions
Palaniswami received an Honorary Doctorate from Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute in 2019. He was also named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in July 2020.
See also
- Edappadi K. Palaniswami ministry
