Tamil Nadu Governor invites Palaniswami to form govt

Tamil Nadu Governor today invited Edappadi K Palaniswami to form the next government in the state.

Palaniswami was elected by party MLAs, staying at a resort in Koovathur, as the legislature party leader a day before yesterday after Supreme Court upheld the trial court's verdict that indicted Sasikala.

The Governor's invite was expected as Palaniswami seems to have the support of majority of MLAs. Palaniswami has to seek the vote of confidence of the Tamil Nadu Assembly within fifteen days to prove his majority.


The swearing in ceremony of Edappadi K. Palanisamy as CM will be held later this evening.


Here are 7 things to know about the man who is set to become the next chief minister of Tamil Nadu:

1. Palaniswami, a four-time MLA from his native Edappadi constituency, is the state minister for highways and minor ports. He comes from the powerful Gounder community.

2. After Panneerselvam was made the chief minister post Jayalalitha's death, Palanisamy had publicly asked Sasikala to become the CM.

3. He supported Jayalalithaa when the party split after the death of its founder M.G. Ramachandran in 1987.

4. In Jayalalithaa's Cabinet, he was ranked No. 3 after Panneerselvam, Natham R Viswanathan and R Vaithilingam.

5. He was considered a member of Jayalalithaa's close coterie called Nalvar Ani in Tamil.

6. A close confidant of Jayalalithaa, he was said to be her courier who relayed her messages to the party.

7. In 2015, Palaniswami filed a defamation case against Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president EVKS Elangovan who levelled corruption charges against him in a Tamil daily.

Also read: SC verdict: What will now happen to Sasikala, Panneerselvam and Tamil Nadu?