Actor-politician Vijay is on the brink of scripting political history in Tamil Nadu, with his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as a dominant force in early counting trends of the Assembly elections.
As vote counting progressed for the April 23 polls, TVK was leading in 109 of the 234 constituencies, closing in on the majority mark of 118 seats. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was trailing significantly, while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was ahead in 63 seats and DMK in 40, according to Election Commission data.
In a major upset, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin was trailing in his Kolathur constituency, while Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was also behind in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. Several senior ministers, including Duraimurugan and Thangam Thennarasu, were trailing, indicating a strong anti-incumbency wave.
Vijay himself was leading in Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur, while senior party leader Aadhav Arjuna was ahead in Villivakkam. TVK’s surge was visible across regions, including the western Kongu belt, traditionally considered a stronghold of the AIADMK-BJP alliance.
If the trends hold and TVK crosses the majority mark, it would mark an unprecedented political shift. No party in Tamil Nadu’s history has come to power within just two years of its formation. Even M. G. Ramachandran, who founded the AIADMK in 1972, became Chief Minister only in 1977 after years in the DMK.
The results signal a potential end to decades of dominance by the two Dravidian giants—DMK and AIADMK—who have alternated power in the state since 1967, beginning with C. N. Annadurai forming the first non-Congress government.
TVK’s strong performance has also defied most exit poll predictions that had given an edge to the DMK based on its welfare-driven governance model. If the current trend translates into a final result, it could mark one of the biggest political upsets in the state’s history, reshaping Tamil Nadu’s electoral landscape.
