EPS quits as CM; flurry of resignations at Secretariat

CHENNAI: In the counting of votes that were polled on April 6, AIADMK lost to the DMK by a margin of 84 seats. Following the mandate, the AIADMK government, led by Edappadi K Palaniswami, submitted its resignation on Monday morning.

In the ensuing change of guard, Advocate General Vijay Narayan resigned in keeping up with the tradition. Vijay Narayan who assumed office in August 2017 after senior counsel R Muthukumaraswamy (since dead) tendered his resignation just days before completing one year in office, put in his paper Saturday, ahead of the state Assembly election results.

Interestingly, while most of the Government advocates resign only after making sure that the party which appointed them had regained power or not, Narayan put in his papers ahead of the results living up to the tradition that govern the position.

In his resignation, Vijay Narayan, citing return to his private practice as reason for his resignation, said “Though I took over at a slightly turbulent time during the State’s political history, I must candidly state that I enjoyed every moment of my tenure.”

“The Chief Minister as well as the Law Minister were a source of great strength to me and treated me with utmost respect and regard for which I shall be eternally grateful,” the letter stated. Sources in the Secretariat said that the Chief Minister who was in Salem was originally scheduled to fly to Chennai on Sunday, but due to COVID surge he cancelled his visit and sent his resignation letter through his supporters, on Monday morning, who handed it over to Governor’s office in the afternoon.

Following the Chief Minister, former Chief Secretary K Shanmugam, who was serving as advisor to the government, also tendered his resignation.

Most of the additional advocate generals and Government Advocates including Senior Counsel AL Somayaji who was appointed as a special pleader for specific cases tendered their resignation on Monday.