All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary and former chief minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami, also known as EPS, contesting the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections from his home constituency of Edappadi in Salem district, was leading with 1,38,330 votes, commanding a margin of 90,278 votes, while Independent candidate Premkumar K trailed with 48,052 votes; Kasi C of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was in third place with 40,221 votes, behind by 98,109, as per EC data.
Leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state, Palaniswami is positioned as the primary challenger to the ruling DMK, running on a platform to “save Tamil Nadu” from what he describes as anarchic and hereditary rule.
Palaniswami’s campaign, launched under the slogan “Let’s protect the people,” centres on a “dual engine” governance model through a strategic alliance with the BJP, PMK, and AMMK. He has hit back at deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s “slave” remarks, asserting that AIADMK cadres are proud followers of party founder MG Ramachandran (MGR) and are subservient to no one.
EPS has centred the electoral narrative on the DMK’s alleged failure to fulfill over 80% of its 2021 promises and the state’s rising debt, which he claims has reached ₹1.25 lakh per citizen.
Before becoming a towering political figure, who was EPS?
Born on May 12, 1954, in Anthiyur, Palaniswami hails from a rural agricultural background. A lifelong loyalist of the late J Jayalalithaa, EPS rose from the party’s grassroots in the 1980s. He served as an MP (1998-1999) and held the critical Highways and Public Works portfolios before being elevated to chief minister (2017-2021) following a period of internal party transition. He is married to Rathi Palaniswami, and the couple has one son.
About Edappadi
The Edappadi constituency, situated in the Kongu Nadu belt, has been Palaniswami’s stronghold since 2011. While the region sees competition from the PMK, EPS is widely regarded as the “political strongman of Salem”. According to his 2026 election affidavit, Palaniswami declared assets worth approximately ₹6.70 crore, identifying primarily as an agriculturist.
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If he were to win, he has promised to provide ₹10,000 monthly assistance to every family, and strictly control the circulation of narcotic substances.
How did EPS perform in previous elections?
In the 2021 assembly elections, Edappadi K Palaniswami secured a massive victory in Edappadi, defeating DMK’s T Sampathkumar by a margin of 93,802 votes. This was a significant increase from the 2016 elections, where he won the same seat by a margin of 42,022 votes against the DMK’s Karthe.
Palaniswami has represented Edappadi for four terms (1989, 1991, 2011, 2016, and 2021). Although the AIADMK lost power to the DMK-led alliance in 2021, the party maintained a strong presence in the western belt under his leadership. The 2021 loss forced the party into the opposition, with Palaniswami subsequently taking over as the Leader of the Opposition on May 11, 2021.
For the 2026 elections, the NDA alliance led by AIADMK (comprising BJP, PMK, and AMMK) faces the Secular Progressive Alliance led by the DMK and the solo-contesting TVK led by actor Vijay. Polling for all 234 seats will be held on April 23, with the counting of votes on May 4.
(With agency inputs)
