MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)Former MLA · 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly (2026–31)

Edappadi K. Palaniswami
  • Won 2026 by 98,110

Edappadi K. Palaniswami

எடப்பாடி க. பழனிசாமி

MLA for Edappadi since May 2026MLA for Edappadi, 2026–31AIADMK

  • AC 86 · Salem district
  • Sitting MLA · 17th Assembly (2026–31)
  • Born 12 May 1954
declared assets
₹8.99 cr
pending criminal cases
5
education
12th pass
times elected MLA
6

Assets, cases and education as declared in the 2026 sworn affidavit to the Election Commission of India. The cases are pending, not convictions.

How did my village vote?Edappadi seat page

Quick facts: Edappadi K. Palaniswami

Sources: Election Commission of India (result, candidate profile) and the 2026 affidavit.

Find your own MLA

Or browse all 234 MLAs

Explore next

Career

Edappadi K. Palaniswami: the career, year by year

  1. 1989
  2. 1991
  3. 2011
  4. 2016
  5. 2021
  6. 2026

Elected from Edappadi 6 times

  • Assembly win
  • Office held
  • Party
  • Chief Minister
  1. 1974

    Joins AIADMK as a volunteer at Koneripatti branch under MGR's wing; becomes branch secretary.

  2. 1989

    First MLA win from Edappadi on the AIADMK ticket; re-elected in 1991.

  3. 1998-1999

    Elected to the 12th Lok Sabha from Tiruchengode constituency.

  4. 2011

    Returns to the Assembly from Edappadi and is sworn in as Minister for Highways and Minor Ports in Jayalalithaa's cabinet.

  5. 2015

    Briefly holds the Forests portfolio (May-August) before continuing as Highways Minister.

  6. 2016

    Re-elected from Edappadi; holds the Public Works portfolio in the Jayalalithaa-OPS cabinet.

  7. 16 Feb 2017

    Sworn in as the 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after the post-Jayalalithaa leadership churn, with Home, Prohibition and Excise also under him.

  8. 2017-2021

    CM tenure marked by the Thoothukudi police firing (May 2018, 13 deaths at the Sterlite anti-copper-plant protest), the Pollachi sexual-assault case (CBI transfer), the 2018 NEET row and the COVID-19 response. Sterlite was permanently closed in 2018.

  9. 2021

    AIADMK loses power; EPS retains Edappadi and is elected Leader of the Opposition in the 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

  10. 11 Jul 2022

    AIADMK general council abolishes the dual-leadership structure; EPS becomes interim general secretary after the split with O. Panneerselvam.

  11. 28 Mar 2023

    Elected AIADMK General Secretary in the party's organisational election; leadership upheld by the Supreme Court in February 2023.

  12. 4 May 2026

    Won Edappadi for the AIADMK (polling was on 23 April).

    See the full 2026 result
  13. 11 May 2026

    Took oath as MLA in the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Profile

About Edappadi K. Palaniswami

Party
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Born
12 May 1954 in Siluvampalayam, Salem district
Profession
Politician (1974– ); agriculturist before politics; AIADMK general secretary since 28 March 2023
District
Salem

Education

  • SchoolingSchooling in Edappadi taluk, Salem district

Party & ideology

EPS represents the post-Jayalalithaa AIADMK in its purest organisational form — Tamil-pride Dravidian politics, agrarian and welfare-state continuity from MGR-Amma, fiscally cautious populism (free-rice scheme, Amma canteens), and a Kongu-belt power base anchored in Salem. He led the AIADMK out of the Sasikala-Dhinakaran wing after Jayalalithaa's death, and after a four-year leadership war pushed out O. Panneerselvam in 2022. For the 2026 election he led the AIADMK at the head of the NDA in Tamil Nadu, in alliance with the BJP and the PMK.

Family

Married to Radha; one son. Brother Govindaraj and sister Ranjitham.

Awards & recognition

  • Honorary Doctorate (2019), Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute
  • Paul Harris Fellow (11 July 2020), The Rotary Foundation
  • Z+ category security cover granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (5 July 2025)

Official channels

X (Twitter)Website

Questions people ask

How old is Edappadi K. Palaniswami?

Edappadi K. Palaniswami was born on 12 May 1954. The Election Commission's candidate profile records age 72 at filing for the April 2026 election.

Who is Edappadi K. Palaniswami's wife?

The 2026 affidavit declares the spouse's profession as Agriculture / Profession. Our record holds no other detail about the spouse.

Who is Edappadi K. Palaniswami's father?

In the 2026 nomination, Edappadi K. Palaniswami is declared as the son of Karuppa Gounder.

What is Edappadi K. Palaniswami's educational qualification?

12th pass, as declared in the 2026 affidavit. As written there: B.Sc, (Did not pass) Sri Vasavi College, Erode (Chennai University, Year 1976)

How much are Edappadi K. Palaniswami's assets?

₹8.99 cr in declared assets (liabilities ₹17.00 lakh) in the 2026 affidavit sworn to the Election Commission of India; 5 pending criminal cases (declared, not convictions).

Which party and constituency does Edappadi K. Palaniswami belong to?

Edappadi K. Palaniswami is the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLA for Edappadi (AC 86, Salem district), elected in April 2026.

How many votes did Edappadi K. Palaniswami get?

1,48,933 votes (57.7% of those polled) in the April 2026 election, a margin of 98,110 votes over K. Premkumar (IND).

When was Edappadi K. Palaniswami sworn in?

As an MLA on 11 May 2026, when the 17th Assembly met for the first time.

How many times has Edappadi K. Palaniswami won?

Six times as MLA from Edappadi — 1989, 1991, 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026 — plus one term as MP from Tiruchengode (1998-99). The 2026 win came with a margin of 98,110 votes, the largest in his electoral career.

When was EPS Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu?

From 16 February 2017 to 6 May 2021 — the 7th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He took office after the V. K. Sasikala-O. Panneerselvam churn following Jayalalithaa's death and led the AIADMK government for the second half of the 15th Assembly term.

Why did EPS and OPS fall out?

After Jayalalithaa's death the AIADMK ran on a dual-leadership structure with EPS as Coordinator and O. Panneerselvam as Joint Coordinator. The general council abolished that structure on 11 July 2022, making EPS interim general secretary and expelling OPS for anti-party activity. The Supreme Court upheld EPS's leadership in February 2023.

Was the AIADMK part of the NDA in 2026?

Yes. The AIADMK led the NDA in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election, in alliance with the BJP and the PMK, against the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and TVK. EPS rebuilt the AIADMK cadres after the 2022-23 leadership war and led the campaign personally.

Other MLAs from Salem district

A. NallathambiGangavalli · AIADMKA. P. JayasankaranAttur · AIADMKP. UsharaniYercaud · AIADMKR. ManiOmalur · AIADMKG. VenkatachalamMettur · AIADMKS. VetrivelSankari · AIADMKS. LakshmananSalem (West) · TVKK. SivakumarSalem (North) · TVKA. Vijay Tamilan ParthibanSalem (South) · TVKM. S. PalanivelVeerapandi · TVK

Page last changed 12 October 2026.

Report an errorweb@tnexplorer.com

Official contact

Contact details

Email
mlaedappadi@tn.gov.in
Phone
94431 46857
Address
No 6/77, Siluvampalayam Post
Nedunkulam Village, Edappadi Taluk
Salem - 637 107.

As published by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (members list), checked 20 October 2026.

Source: assembly.tn.gov.inReport an error