Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao Constituency Edappadi Succeeded by M. Kannappan | Preceded by O. Panneerselvam Preceded by K. P. Ramalingam | |
Constituency Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu Party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | ||
Edappadi K. Palaniswami (born 2 March 1954) is an Indian politician who is the 13th and current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, having assumed the office on 16 February 2017. He is a senior leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIDMK).
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Political career
A member of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party, he is the incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Edapadi in the Salem district in Tamil Nadu. He previously served as Minister for Highways & Minor Ports in the Jayalalithaa and O. Panneerselvam-led ministries of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
First term as Chief Minister, 2017
He was elected as the leader of AIADMK Legislature Party on February 14, 2017.
A day before forming his ministry, the Koovathur police registered a case against Palaniswami, AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to abduction and wrongful confinement. The case alleges that AIADMK MLAs were kidnapped and sequestered until the Chief Minister's vote of confidence in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly to preempt defections.
Legislative career
Palaniswami has won the assembly election to the state assembly four times, in 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016 from the Edapadi constituency.