Chennai: The new leader of AIADMK legislature party, ‘Edappadi’ K. Palanisami, has risen to the present position from an ordinary cadre in 1974 after facing several ups and down in his political career.
The 63-year-old leader who started with two consecutive victories in the Assembly elections lost three consecutive polls, but made a come back with two victories in the last two Assembly polls. He was born in Edappadi in Salem district in an agricultural family, from a dominant community in the Kongu region. He was made the party secretary of Siluvampalayam in Edappadi union.
A soft spoken man, who is always seen with a smile, rarely loses his cool during verbal clashes in the Assembly. He has a wife Radha and son Mithun. Although, there are media reports that he has close links with businessman Ramalingam, whose house was raided by the IT department, he does not face cases of corruption against him.
Palanisami, a science graduate swore allegiance to Jayalalithaa faction when the party split after the demise of its founder MGR. He contested as a candidate of Jayalalithaa faction in the 1989 Assembly elections in Edappadi and won the seat. After the party was unified, he was rewarded with the post of Salem (north) district joint secretary in 1990.
He was elected from the same Assembly constituency in 1991 when Jayalalithaa became the Chief Minister. He lost the elections when the AIADMK was routed in 1996 Assembly elections. He was immediately fielded in the 1998 Parliament elections from the AIADMK stronghold of Tiruchengode and won the seat. But, he last from the same Parliament seat in the 1999 Parliament elections. He faced consecutive defeats in the 2001 and 2006 Assembly elections.
Despite continuous defeats, he was given a ticket in the 2011 Assembly polls and this time, he regained the seat. He was made the highways minister then. He won from Edappadi in the 2011 Assembly polls again. As the AIADMK won 10 of the 11 constituencies in Salem district, he was made the PWD and Highways
minister. He has held various party posts including propaganda secretary, organisation secretary, and disciplinary committee member.
