Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has resigned. President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted his resignation of and his Council of Ministers and asked him to continue in office till the new government takes over.

Before tendering his resignation, Dr Singh chaired the last Cabinet meeting, which adopted a resolution recommending the dissolution of the current Lok Sabha. It also lauded the role of Dr Singh during his tenure for the last ten years since 2004.

Addressing the nation before laying down his office, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said he had tried to do his best in serving the country and his tenure is an open book.

Before demitting the office after 10 years of eventful rule, Dr. Singh in a televised address, said the judgement delivered by the people in this elections should be respected by all and wished the incoming government every success. He said the just concluded Lok Sabha elections have deepened the democratic polity. Looking back, Prime Minister said India saw many successes and achievements that the country should be proud of and it became far stronger in the last one decade, but it still has vast latent development potential.

He said the time has come for India to become a major powerhouse of the evolving global economy. By blending tradition with modernity and unity with diversity, the country can show the way forward to the world. He said, India is a far stronger country in every respect than it was a decade ago. He, however, said there is vast latent development potential in the country and all must collectively work hard to realise it.

Dr Singh said that serving the country has been his privilege and there is nothing more that he could ask for. He wished the incoming government every success as its embarks on its task and pray for greater successes.