JOIN USK Palaniswami resigns as Tamil Nadu CM, wishes good luck to Stalin
Edappadi K Palaniswami bowed out as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Monday with much grace by conceding defeat and congratulating his challenger and DMK chief M K Stalin on his new assignment, a rare gesture in the state politics known for high-decibel acrimony.
While accepting the outgoing Chief Minister's wishes, Stalin was equally graceful and sought Palaniswami’s “ideas and cooperation” in taking the state to new heights. This is probably the first time in several decades that the outgoing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has wished his rival after the defeat – M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa never saw eye-to-eye and were known for their animosity to the other.
After sending his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit from his native town of Salem, Palaniswami took to Twitter to congratulate Stalin on his party's victory, and wished him luck as Chief Minister. Within minutes, Stalin quoted Palaniswami's tweet and wrote: “I thank you for your wishes, and I would need your cooperation and ideas to take the state to newer heights. Democracy is a fusion of both ruling and Opposition parties and let us save democracy.”
MKS and EPS – in their capacities as Leader of Opposition and Chief Minister – heralded a new political change in Tamil Nadu wherein courtesies are extended and exchanged on personal note. When MKS sought an appointment in 2018 to discuss issues related to the state, EPS warmly welcomed the DMK delegation to his chamber. Though such scenes are common in other state, these are new to TN.
Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, who is also AIADMK's coordinator, spoke to Stalin over the phone and congratulated him on DMK's win after 10 years. Not just the wishes, AIADMK's conceding statement was also to the point – accepting defeat and thanking voters – in a welcome change from Jayalalithaa who would often mock people’s choice.
While the DMK had attended the swearing-in ceremonies of Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister in 2001 and 2016, the AIADMK under her leadership had always skipped attending swearing-in of DMK governments. Monday also saw Advocate General Vijay Narayan, and K Shanmugam, who was appointed as advisor to the government after he retired as Chief Secretary, resigning their posts.
Meanwhile, Purohit accepted Palaniswami's resignation and asked him to continue until alternative arrangements were made. The Governor also dissolved the 15th assembly.