Conceding defeat, Tamil Nadu State Chief Edapaddi Palaniswami resigned on Monday morning after his party, the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) failed to secure a majority in the state assembly polls that concluded yesterday.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won 125 seats and AIADMK only 65 in the 234-seat assembly.
Palaniswami was sworn in as the 13th state chief in February 2017 after the demise of Jayalalithaa in December 2016.
The new state chief will be M.K. Stalin, who will be sworn in on 7 May. Stalin has said that the ceremony will be simple following all COVID-19 protocols.
Soon after DMK's win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted and sent his congratulations to M.K. Stalin, saying "We shall work together for enhancing national progress, fulfilling regional aspirations, and defeating the COVID-19 pandemic".
Congratulations to Thiru @mkstalin and @arivalayam for the victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. We shall work together for enhancing national progress, fulfilling regional aspirations and defeating the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2021
Many prominent leaders like Palaniswami and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also congratulated Stalin on his victory.
தமிழ்நாட்டின் முதலமைச்சராக பதவியேற்கவுள்ள திரு.மு.க.ஸ்டாலின் அவர்களுக்கு என்னுடைய நல்வாழ்த்துக்களை தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன் @mkstalin
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@EPSTamilNadu) May 3, 2021
Congratulations to Shri MK Stalin for the victory.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 2, 2021
People of Tamil Nadu have voted for change and we will, under your leadership, prove to be a confident step in that direction.
Best wishes.
Many congratulations to @mkstalin on a resounding victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls. I wish him a successful tenure and the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of people of Tamil Nadu.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 2, 2021
