Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 5 : Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin on Tuesday resigned as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, submitting his resignation to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar following his party's defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
According to Lok Bhavan officials, the resignation letter has been formally sent to the Governor's office. An official confirmation is expected once the Governor acknowledges and accepts the resignation.
The development comes amid a major political shift in Tamil Nadu, where Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party, winning 107 seats in the 234-member Assembly, just 11 short of the majority mark. The DMK secured 59 seats, marking a significant setback for the ruling party.
Meanwhile, key alliance leaders, including Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI(M) State Secretary Shanmugam, and CPI State Secretary Veerapandian, are scheduled to meet Stalin at the DMK headquarters on Wednesday to discuss the way forward following the electoral outcome.
The election also delivered a major upset in Kolathur, Stalin's stronghold, where he was defeated by TVK candidate VS Babu by a margin of 8,795 votes. TVK led the vote share with over 32 per cent, while the DMK secured 24.19 per cent and AIADMK 21.22 per cent, reflecting a decline for both Dravidian majors.
Despite the defeat, Stalin expressed gratitude to voters, highlighting the close margin in vote share. "I express my heartfelt and sincere gratitude to all the people of Tamil Nadu who voted for the candidates of the secular progressive alliance led by the DMK... I consider each and every vote as an invaluable token of trust," he said in a post on X.
He noted that the DMK alliance secured over 1.54 crore votes, with a narrow difference of 3.52 per cent compared to the winning party. "As far as I am concerned, I consider the trust that the people of Tamil Nadu have placed in us to be strong," he added.
The results signal a significant political transition in the state, with TVK expected to explore alliances to form the next government.
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