SKILLED SURVIVOR

Barely hours after the Madras High Court endorsed his election on  March 30, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) was officially elevated to the all-powerful post of the general secretary (GS) of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party. 

- Amarnath K. Menon

Fawning supporters brought along a fur cap and dark glasses-the favourite fashion accessories of party founder M.G. Ramachandran (MGR)-for the former Tamil Nadu chief minister to try on, in an attempt to resurrect memories of the party's early days. MGR and his protégé J. Jayalalithaa had held the post till their respective deaths.

Jayalalithaa's ambitious consort V.K. Sasikala took over the reins in December 2016, but her conviction on corruption charges just three months later led to EPS becoming the "accidental CM". This after prostrating before Sasikala who had handpicked him to be proxy chief minister before she went to jail. EPS, along with another former CM, O. Panneerselvam (OPS), soon took control of the party.