Assembly Election trends 2026: TVK emerges as a major force, AINRC dominates Puducherry

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) staged a dramatic emergence in Tamil Nadu politics, leading in a majority of constituencies in the Assembly Elections 2026.

The party was leading in 105 seats and had already secured victories in two constituencies, placing it well ahead of both the DMK and the AIADMK in the 234-member Assembly.

According to the latest trends, TVK is ahead in 107 seats in total, while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is leading in 55 seats and has won three constituencies. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is leading in 47 seats but has not opened its winning account at the time of reporting.

The Indian National Congress (INC) won one seat and was leading in four others.

TVK registered confirmed victories in Anna Nagar, where V.K. Ramkumar won by a margin of 21,363 votes, and in Thanjavur, where R. Vijaysaravanan secured victory by 16,955 votes.

The party’s strongest performance came in several urban and semi-urban constituencies where it established massive leads. In Madavaram, M.L. Vijayprabhu was leading by a huge margin of 91,600 votes, one of the biggest leads recorded in the state. Prakasam R in Poonamallee established a commanding lead of 58,192 votes, while R. Ramesh Kumar led in Avadi by 41,308 votes.

TVK also recorded dominant margins in Ambattur, where Balamurugan G was ahead by 40,258 votes, Kavundampalayam, where Kanimozhi Santhosh led by 41,243 votes, and Tiruppur North, where V. Sathyabama was ahead by 39,813 votes. Several high-profile Chennai constituencies tilted heavily towards TVK. The party was leading in Kolathur, Villivakkam, Egmore, Royapuram, Thousand Lights, Velachery, Saidapet, and Mylapore.

TVK also made major inroads in western Tamil Nadu. The party led in Salem West by 41,826 votes, while strong leads were recorded in Coimbatore region constituencies, including Sulur, Singanallur, Kinathukadavu, and Coimbatore North.

The DMK managed to hold on to several traditional strongholds. The party secured victories in Gudalur, Coonoor, and Valparai.

Among the major DMK leads, R. Vaithilingam in Orathanadu was ahead by 31,686 votes, while Sakkarapani R led in Oddanchatram by 31,339 votes. In Thiruvarur, Kalaivanan Poondi K established a strong lead of 18,148 votes, and Elango R was ahead in Aravakurichi by 18,500 votes.

Senior DMK leaders also maintained leads in key constituencies. Udhayanidhi Stalin was leading in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, while P.K. Sekarbabu led in Harbour. K.N. Nehru maintained an advantage in Tiruchirappalli West, and Thangam Thenarasu was ahead in Tiruchuli.

The Congress opened its account with P. Viswanathan winning from Melur by a margin of 2,724 votes.

With counting underway in several constituencies, the emerging trends point to a major political reshaping in Tamil Nadu, with TVK making an unprecedented electoral breakthrough and challenging the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK.

AINRC maintains lead in Puducherry

The ruling All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) emerged as the leading party in the Puducherry Assembly Elections 2026, winning nine constituencies and leading in one more seat as counting progressed on Monday in the 30-member Assembly.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won two seats and was leading in two constituencies, strengthening the NDA’s position in the Union Territory.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won one seat and is leading in two others, while the Indian National Congress (INC) secured one victory.

According to the latest trends, independents won three constituencies, while parties including the AIADMK and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) also opened their accounts.

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy registered a comfortable victory from Thattanchavady, winning by a margin of 4,441 votes. Among the AINRC’s major wins, P. Rajavelu secured Nettapakkam with a margin of 6,689 votes, one of the highest in the Union Territory. Malladi Krishna Rao won Yanam by 4,568 votes, while E. Mohandoss retained Embalam with a margin of 4,061 votes.

The party also recorded victories in Villianur, Lawspet, Muthialpet, Ariankuppam, and Karaikal North.

For the BJP, senior leader A. Namassivayam won Mannadipet by 6,110 votes, marking one of the party’s strongest performances in the election. TKSM Meenatchisundaram emerged victorious in Neravy-T.R.Pattinam.

The DMK secured Nellithope through V. Cartigueyane, who won by a margin of 850 votes. The party was also leading in Raj Bhavan and Bahour, where R. Senthil Kumar maintained an advantage of 1,467 votes.

The Congress opened its account with P. Karthikeyan winning Oussudu by 4,018 votes.

Among other parties, AIADMK candidate A. Anbalagan won Oupalam by 1,026 votes, while TVK candidate B. Ramu secured victory in Manavely with a margin of 3,093 votes.

With a majority of seats already decided, the trends indicated that the AINRC-led alliance remained firmly positioned to retain power in Puducherry.