Stalin Resigns TamilNadu
Chennai
Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi (Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar) has accepted the resignation of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and his Council of Ministers, requesting him to continue as caretaker Chief Minister until a new government is formed following the Assembly election results.
According to an official statement issued from Lok Bhavan, the Governor accepted Stalin’s resignation on Tuesday and urged him to remain in office temporarily in line with constitutional conventions. The decision comes after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance suffered a major electoral setback in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
Sources indicated that Stalin submitted his resignation shortly after the results confirmed that the alliance had fallen far short of the majority mark. In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the alliance secured only 73 seats, well below the required 118 seats needed to form the government. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam itself witnessed a sharp decline, winning around 60 seats out of the 164 constituencies it contested, pushing it into the Opposition.
In a significant personal setback, Stalin also lost the Kolathur constituency, which he had represented since 2011. He was defeated by V. S. Babu of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). This marks a rare instance of a sitting Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu losing an Assembly election. The last such occurrence was in 1996, when former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa faced a similar defeat.
Babu’s victory is being viewed as politically significant, especially considering his earlier association with the DMK before switching allegiance. His win in Kolathur is seen as reflective of a broader shift in voter sentiment and the evolving political landscape in the state.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay has led the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to emerge as the single-largest party, though it remains short of a majority. The election has resulted in a fractured mandate, triggering intense post-poll negotiations among political parties.
With no party securing a clear majority, attention has now shifted to the process of government formation. Political observers expect crucial developments in the coming days as parties explore alliances and strategies to stake claim to power in Tamil Nadu.