His own party did not give him more than a few weeks, while the Opposition licked its chops in anticipation of his fall from his accidental elevation. Three years on, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is having the last laugh, as he tightens his grip on both the government and the ruling AIADMK party. What explains his incredible staying power even as the state and the country have been swirled by some of the most challenging events in recent times? And what lies ahead for this survivor CM and his party as the countdown begins for the next Assembly elections a year from now?