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".
Many prominent leaders like Palaniswami and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also congratulated Stalin on his victory.