After conceding an unprecedented defeat in the Tamil Nadu elections which has put Edappadi Palaniswami's leadership baton to hang in balance, both the ADMK top leaders have penned a message to the party members to brace up the debacle and to execute their duties as the decade-long ruling party in the state has now been entering the assembly as the opposition party.

ADMK leaders Edappadi Palaniswami and Panneerselvam, who secured a victory in their respective constituencies, have on Monday issued a joint statement to the party members in which they had expressed heartfelt thanks to the electorate for casting votes to the candidates of the parties and allies. Both the leaders have also urged the party members to protect the party and continue discharging their duties.

In the statement, they had said that the people were aware of the excellent work of the party for the welfare of Tamil Nadu in the last ten years. By citing that the reign and the opposition are both sides of the coin of administration, the leaders have highlighted that the party has a responsibility to act as an instrument to ensure that the administration runs properly and appropriately. 

The leaders had further said that the party will carry out all duties that are to be carried out with great responsibility as the opposition in the legislative assembly and in the administration of the government in accordance with the party's principles. The leaders have also thanked the party members and cadres across the state to execute their duties tirelessly to ensure the victory of the party candidates and the candidates fielded by the allied parties. 

The ADMK's leadership has urged the partymen to take a pledge for the party to continue its service to the people and stand shoulder to shoulder in the duty to safeguard the party founded by MG Ramachandran and steered by Jayalalithaa. The joint statement from both the leaders has come a day after the revelation that the ADMK alliance had faced a major debacle in the wake of the staunch anti-incumbency wave against the ADMK regime. 

The DMK alliance had secured 159 seats, 40 seats more than the majority mark of 118 seats while the ADMK alliance has ended up getting 75 seats. Apart from the DMK and ADMK fronts, the other three fronts - Kamal's Makkal Needhi Maiam, TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK, and Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi had failed to secure even a single seat. After conceding the defeat, Edappadi Palaniswami has on Monday moved his resignation to step down from the post of Chief Minister and it has been reported that MK Stalin will swear in as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 7.