Ending days of nerve-wracking suspense and intense drama, Edappadi K Palanisamy has been invited to form the new government in the turbulant Tamil Nadu. He would be the 12 Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

On Thursday forenoon, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao invited him to Raj Bhavan and form the government. After a meeting with the Governor, where Palanisamy presented him with a list of ministers who would be sworn, there was jubilation in Golden Bay Resorts, where the pro-Sasikala faction was housed.

Palanisamy left his graduation course in the middle and joined politics. Like Paneerselvam, he has all along been with the AIADMK. A native of Nedungulam village in Edappadi taluk, 62-year-old Mr. Palaniswami joined AIADMK in the 1980s. He sided with Jayalalithaa when the party suffered a split after the demise of founder M.G. Ramachandran in 1987. Even in the 2016 elections, he ensured that AIADMK won 10 of the 11 seats in Salem district and was made minister for minor ports and highways.

He represents Edappadi constituency and has won four times, in 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016. He remained with Sasikala after Paneerselvam revoted against her.