TAMIL NADU ELECTION RESULTS: Vijay has made a stunning debut with TVK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 leaving the pollsters stunned. The Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam led by Vijay, has become a major disruption as the counting of votes is being done in the state of Tamil Nadu. As per very early trends, the TVK is leading in 106 seats while the incumbent DMK-led alliance is ahead in 47. The AIADMK-led alliance, meanwhile, is ahead in just 79 seats. The TVK is ahead of the DMK alliance in every region of the state, except in Chennai.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026: Vijay leaves pollsters stunned
The AIADMK is leading in North Tamil Nadu and West Tamil Nadu, the latter being the stronghold of the AIADMK supremo Edappadi Palaniswamy. But the greater story is in the share of votes, which demonstrates that the TVK is cannibalising the vote share of the DMK alliance in addition to that of the AIADMK front.
The party led by Vijay received 32 per cent votes in very early trends, which places it on par with the DMK alliance. Instead, the AIADMK block has been claiming a vote of approximately 30 per cent, according to exceedingly early trends.
The mismatch between the AIADMK alliance’s low seat tally and relatively higher vote share could be attributed to the party garnering more votes in less number of seats.
In the meantime, should the trends play out, the TVK will be able to become not only a disrupter but also the single-largest party in the state. The Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu has 234 seats out of which 117 are the halfway mark.
Will Vijay Form an Alliance Government With AIADMK?
The 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly of the 234 members went to polls on April 23, 2026, in a single phase, with a voter turnout of 85.10 per cent. The seat where Vijay is fighting this election, Perambur, assembly constituency Number 12 in Chennai, has recorded a turnout of 89.74 per cent. Tiruchirappalli assembly constituency Number 141, has recorded 81.77 per cent voter turnout.
Behind the scenes, there was plenty going on. In late 2025, it emerged that AIADMK had approached Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam regarding a potential alliance for the 2026 Assembly polls, as per the political watchers keeping tabs on the negotiations.
However, these talks broke down when TVK reportedly made tough demands, namely control of the alliance, promoting Vijay as a candidate for Chief Minister, and nearly half of the total 234 Assembly seats. It was too much of a concession for a party that had previously ruled the state to give up to a new player in elections
When did Vijay enter politics with TVK?
On 2 February 2024, Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar started the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). His party was officially registered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on September 8, 2024. Since the very start, Vijay placed TVK on modern Dravidian principles, stating that it is only his party that dares to take on the “evil force” and the “corrupt force” as well.
Vijay has claimed that he would script his success story similar to that of the iconic actor and legendary AIADMK leader MG Ramachandran, by storming to power this year. Vijay has termed the DMK to be an evil force and BJP as an ideological opponent.
What is happening in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections?
The 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly of the 234 members went to polls on April 23, 2026, in a single phase, with a voter turnout of 85.10 per cent. The seat where Vijay is fighting this election, Perambur, assembly constituency Number 12 in Chennai, has recorded a turnout of 89.74 per cent. Tiruchirappalli assembly constituency Number 141, has recorded 81.77 per cent voter turnout.
Although the second contesting seat of Vijay is mainly known as Trichy East the official website of the Election Commission uses the original spelling of the constituency Tiruchirapalli.
What did the exit polls predict?
The pollsters had anticipated an interesting electoral contest in Tamil Nadu, with most of them predicting another term in power by the DMK-led alliance. Nevertheless, Vijay of TVK was expected to be an unexpected X factor in the state, just like MGR had been in 1977.
TVK chief Vijay isn’t treating the assembly polls like some typical election. He’s calling it a “democratic battle,” and he’s sticking to his plan to go it alone in Tamil Nadu—no alliances, just his party. Vijay’s confident. He said, “This force of TVK will win even if no friendship force (alliance) is with us.” So even with all the talk linking TVK to the BJP, the party made it clear they’re not joining with them.
There’s more. TVK general secretary Aadhav Arjuna claimed someone offered Vijay the chief minister role and 50 percent of the assembly seats if he teamed up, but he turned it down. He’s not interested in shortcuts. Political strategist Niranjan Ramesh Babu summed it up well: “Vijay wants to be a lion, the main face, a future political leader.” That pretty much captures the mindset driving TVK’s solo strategy.
MUST READ: Tamil Nadu Election Results 2026 Live: Vijay’s TVK and AIADMK Battle For Top Spot, DMK Poor Third
With 13 years on the line, Ashish Kumar Singh loves everything when it comes to movies, music, travel and pop culture. Formerly employed at ANI, Pinkvilla, India Today and HT, Ashish has interviewed some of the top celebrities of India, including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan, among others. Breaking news excites him and deadlines are what he chases. Interviewing comes naturally to him. Hit him up at ashish.kumar02singh@gmail.com.
