SALEM: AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami won in the Edappadi assembly constituency with 1,48,933 votes. He defeated independent candidate K Premkumar, who was backed by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettrik Kazhagam, by a margin of 98,110 votes. Premkumar got 50,823 votes while DMK candidate C Kasi secured 44, 011 votes.It is for the sixth time that EPS is winning in Edappadi since 1981. He lost in the constituency in 1996 and 2006.The victory extended EPS’s strong run in his home constituency. In 2021, he defeated DMK’s T Sampath Kumar by 93,802 votes. In 2016, he beat PMK’s N Annadurai by 42,022 votes. With each election, his winning margin either remained formidable or expanded, underlining his entrenched hold over Edappadi constituency.AIADMK leaders credited this consistency to EPS’s personal rapport with voters and the party’s booth-level strength. A senior district official said Edappadi was closely tied to EPS’s political identity and that voters saw him as one of their own. Another cadre said his welfare measures and outreach to farmers, women and small traders helped preserve a durable support base.A key factor was also the shifting and divided opposition. In 2016, PMK emerged as the main challenger. In 2021, it was DMK. In 2026, a TVK-backed independent entered the contest. Despite these changing rivals, EPS retained a consolidated vote base while opposition support remained fragmented.His campaign strategy in Edappadi consistently combined local development messaging with emotional and political symbolism. He highlighted irrigation works, road projects and regional development, while invoking the AIADMK legacy of MGR and Jayalalithaa. That mix of constituency focus and party tradition continued to resonate with voters.For AIADMK, Edappadi remained central to its western Tamil Nadu strength. For EPS, it continued to be the constituency that anchored his political authority, with the 2026 result further cementing its status as his strongest bastion.
