Born in a remote village in Salemās Edappadi, Palaniswami's rise to the top rungs of Tamil Nadu politics has been nothing short of a political thriller. If MK Stalinās rise represents patience, Edappadiās positioning as the man in command of the AIADMK, represents survival. EPS, as he is known, started his political career as a grassroots politician in 1974. A staunch 'Amma' loyalist, EPS won his first Assembly election in 1989 from the Edappadi constituency. Since then, he has been an MLA five times. He also won a Lok Sabha seat from Tiruchengode in 1998.