In a stunning political upset, actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is poised to emerge as the single largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, marking a dramatic debut that has disrupted the state’s long-standing Dravidian political order.
Defying most exit poll predictions that favoured the ruling DMK, TVK surged ahead in over 100 constituencies. According to Election Commission trends, the party has already won 15 seats and is leading in 94 others. But it is still away from the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Assembly. Vijay himself is leading in both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli (East), underlining his strong statewide appeal.
One of the biggest upsets of the election is Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s likely defeat in Kolathur, a constituency he has represented since 2011. Stalin is trailing TVK candidate V.S. Babu, a former DMK leader and ex-North Chennai district secretary who had earlier served as an MLA from Purasawalkam in 2006. If confirmed, Stalin would become one of the rare sitting Chief Ministers in Tamil Nadu to lose an Assembly election.
TVK’s impressive performance has drawn attention to its welfare-heavy manifesto. Key promises include Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women, 8 grams of gold for marriages, six free LPG cylinders annually, and interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh for women-led self-help groups. The party has also proposed Rs 15,000 annual support for families of students in government and aided schools to curb dropouts.
As TVK inches towards a majority, political focus has shifted to potential post-poll alliances, with indications that smaller parties could extend support if required. Senior Congress leader Karti P. Chidambaram congratulated Vijay on his “spectacular electoral success on debut,” reflecting the scale of the political shift underway.
According to data updated by the Election Commission at 5:30 pm, the DMK has won or is leading in 60 seats, while the AIADMK is ahead in 45 seats. The PMK is leading in 5 seats, with the Congress also ahead in 5. Additionally, the IUML, CPI and CPM are leading in 2 seats each, while the BJP and DMDK are ahead in one seat each.
NDA may form government in Puducherry
In Puducherry, the NDA, comprising the All India N.R. Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, have secured 12 seats and are leading in 3 more. The Congress-DMK alliance, led by the Indian National Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is ahead in 6 seats. Meanwhile, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and Naam Tamilar Katchi together account for 3 seats. Independents have won 3 seats, while the Lok Janshakti Party (Kailash) has secured one seat.