Stalin resigns as CM after election defeat

CHENNAI: Hours after his party was defeated in the Assembly election, DMK president MK Stalin tendered resignation as the Chief Minister on Monday night.

The formal letter was sent to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who accepted the resignations of Stalin and his Council of Ministers on Tuesday. "The Governor has requested him to continue in office until alternate arrangements are made," an official statement said. As the Governor was not in Chennai on Monday night, the resignation was submitted to his office at Lok Bhavan.

Stalin's resignation follows Constitutional protocol, allowing the Governor to now invite the party or coalition with a majority to form the next government. Speculation is rife about possible alliances of TVK with parties other than DMK.

Meanwhile, Stalin will continue as caretaker Chief Minister to ensure administrative stability until the new government assumes office.

The DMK's defeat marks a dramatic reversal of fortune. In the 2021 Assembly elections, Stalin led the party-led coalition to a landslide victory. The DMK itself won 133 seats and ended a decade of AIADMK rule.

However, the 2026 election saw anti-incumbency waves that eroded the DMK's support base. The party's failure to retain key constituencies led to a fractured mandate, with the TVK emerging as the single largest party.