In our series on constituency profiles, today we take a look at the Edappadi Assembly seat in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu. The constituency has 26 thousand 375 voters.
The Salem district, which was formed in 1772, is surrounded by hills and hillocks. It is a fertile region with the very old architectural marvel, Mettur, which brings happiness to the farmers in the Cauvery belt. One of the children’s rhymes has the phrase ‘Selathu Mambazham thitthikkum Mambhazham’. The mangoes and the value-added products bring revenue to the district.
Salem is also rich in minerals like magnesite, bauxite, granite, limestone, quartz and iron ore. Sandalwood, coffee, silver oak, tapioca and the handloom industry bring additional revenue to Salem. It receives rainfall during the South West and North East monsoon.
The Edappadi constituency saw elections in 1952. The constituency was won by the AIADMK seven times, PMK thrice, DMK twice and Congress once. Edappadi became popular when K. Palanisamy, the son of the soil, became the Chief Minister after the demise of the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. He came to be known as Edappadi K. Palanisamy.
Of the seven times that AIADMK won, Edappadi Palanisamy won five times in the Assembly elections. He also served as an MP from Tiruchengode in 1998 and lost the General elections in 1999 and 2004. He was elected to the Assembly from Edappadi in 1989 for the first time. C. Kasi is the DMK candidate fielded against him. A textile merchant, Kasi, is contesting the Assembly elections for the first time.
