Palaniswami's journey from a trusted partyman to AIADMK leadership

His greatest challenge would be to put together a majority in the Assembly

Edappadi K Palaniswami, 63, minister for highways, minor ports and forests in the O Panneerselvam government till February 5, is now the formal successor to the late J Jayalalithaa as the party’s choice to lead the government of Tamil Nadu.  

His name had reportedly come up as one of the possibles to succeed her after she passed away in hospital on December 5. However, O Panneerselvam was finally announced as the then choice. With his revolt against V K Sasikala’s leadership, and with Sasikala convicted in a two-decade-old disproportionate assets case by the Supreme Court, it was Palaniswami who