TVK nears majority in Tamil Nadu as Vijay registers massive gains
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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) moved closer to forming the government in Tamil Nadu as the party surged ahead in the Assembly Elections 2026, winning 96 seats and leading in 11 others in the 234-member Assembly, according to the latest trends released by the Election Commission.
The dramatic rise of actor-politician Vijay emerged as the defining story of the election, with his party making a breakthrough in its maiden Assembly contest after deciding to go solo across all 234 constituencies.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won 54 seats and was leading in six others, while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) secured 44 seats and was ahead in three constituencies.
The Congress won five seats, while the PMK won two seats and was leading in two more. Smaller parties, including the IUML, CPI, VCK, and CPI(M), also opened their accounts. The BJP secured one seat.
TVK chief Vijay registered major gains in both the constituencies he contested. He was leading from Perambur by a margin of more than 40,000 votes and was also ahead in Tiruchirappalli East, where counting continued.
Perambur, Assembly constituency number 12 in Chennai, recorded a voter turnout of 89.74 per cent, while Tiruchirappalli East, constituency number 141, witnessed 81.77 per cent polling.
The election witnessed an intense triangular contest between the TVK, the DMK, and the BJP-led alliance, with TVK emerging as the dominant force across large parts of the state.
In a major setback for the DMK, party president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lost the Kolathur constituency to TVK candidate V.S. Babu. Stalin later reached the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai, as counting trends continued to favour the TVK.
Despite the broader setback for the DMK, senior leader Udhayanidhi Stalin retained the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, winning by a margin of more than 62,000 votes, according to Election Commission data.