Thalapathy Vijay to Chief Minister Vijay? TVK delivers Tamil Nadu blockbuster
Vijay's TVK won 108 seats, while the ruling DMK-led alliance won 73. The AIADMK bloc, which includes the BJP, secured 53 seats. The TVK swept the Chennai region, winning 31 of the 37 seats. It also grabbed 52 of 65 urban constituencies, gains that appeared to have come largely at the expense of the DMK, traditionally dominant in urban Tamil Nadu.
In a stunning political upset that has redrawn Tamil Nadu’s power map, actor-turned-politician Vijay has propelled his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), to emerge as the single largest force in the state.
What began as a fan-driven movement has now translated into a sweeping electoral mandate, dismantling the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK.
Riding on a wave of youth support, anti-incumbency sentiment, and a crafted grassroots campaign, Vijay has delivered a blockbuster performance that few predicted at this scale. The result signals not just a victory, but a decisive shift in Tamil Nadu’s political narrative.
DECODING THE NUMBERS
Vijay’s TVK won 108 seats, while the ruling DMK-led alliance won 73. The AIADMK bloc, which includes the BJP, secured 53 seats.
The TVK swept the Chennai region, winning 31 of the 37 seats. It also grabbed 52 of 65 urban constituencies, gains that appeared to have come largely at the expense of the DMK, traditionally dominant in urban Tamil Nadu.
The party also emerged as the largest force in western Tamil Nadu, winning 28 of the 57 seats. The region is the political backyard of former CM and AIADMK supremo Edappadi Palaniswamy.
After leading in rural constituencies during the initial phases of counting, the AIADMK saw a sharp decline. The TVK made significant inroads in this segment as well, winning as many seats as the AIADMK.
VIJAY WINS, STALIN LOSES
The man of the moment, Vijay, won both his seats – Perambur and Trichy East. However, Chief MK Stalin lost his Kolathur seat to TVK candidate VS Babu.
The TVK tsunami swept away many other top leaders too.
TVK candidate Vijay Dhamu, an auto driver, defeated AIADMK strongman D. Jayakumar in Chennai’s Royapuram. Another senior AIADMK leader, B Valarmathi, lost the Thousand Lights constituency to TVK’s Prabhakar JCD.
BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan lost to a TVK candidate in Chennai’s Mylapore, while Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran was defeated in Sattur.
CONTRASTING MOODS
The mood was sombre at the DMK headquarters, with cadres beginning to pack up as defeat became evident, while TVK supporters across Tamil Nadu erupted in celebration. Videos circulating on social media showed supporters waving party flags and raising slogans in support of the actor-turned-politician.
Meanwhile, celebrations broke out at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s residence, where his family rejoiced at the turn of events. A video clip showed Vijay’s family, including his father, celebrating with cheers, hugs and whistles.
In a parallel development, actress Trisha, who is rumoured to be in a relationship with the TVK supremo, also reached his residence.
Speaking to the media, Vijay’s father said he had encouraged his son to enter politics. “I motivated him. I wanted him to be a human being, not just an artist, and to think socially. For the past 30 years, he has believed he must do something for society and for the Tamil people,” SA Chandrasekhar said.
OPPOSITION ACCEPTS VERDICT
Sounderrajan accepted the people's verdict and hoped that Vijay would be able to repay the trust posed in him. "I think people have shown faith in a new face. I don’t know if it’s a Vijay wave or a wave of hatred against the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu," she told media.
Another BJP leader, K Annamalai, congratulated Vijay and praised the voters of the state for "choosing to raise their voice" against corruption and nepotism.
Later in the day, PM Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi too congratulated the political debutant.
"This mandate reflects the rising voice of youth which cannot, and will not, be ignored," said Gandhi.
Tamil Nadu Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that people voted for change and rejected the NDA, along with the "surrendered Palaniswami". He also urged "secular forces" to come together to protect Tamil Nadu from RSS proxies.
FOCUS SHIFTS TO POST-POLL ALLIANCE
The TVK said it is confident of forming a government in the state "without any support."
“We expected this. I don’t think we need support from any other party. We have been saying there is a silent Vijay wave. This shows Tamil Nadu was waiting for change. People were unhappy and fed up with both the DMK and the AIADMK," TVK’s Felix Gerald told India Today.
However, the party may not be able to cross the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. In such a scenario, Vijay will likely need allies to form the government.
The AIADMK sent feelers to the TVK. When asked whether the Dravidian outfit would align with the Vijay-led party, AIADMK spokesperson Apsara Reddy did not deny such a possibility to "keep the DMK out."
"The decision is ultimately left to the party. I’m sticking my neck out here and saying that if such a proposal comes, I don’t think the party would say no to that alliance," she said.
In another development that could reshape the INDIA bloc, Vijay’s father invited the Congress to ally with the TVK, offering a share in power. The proposal came nearly three months after speculation first emerged about a possible tie-up between the two parties.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders sent a report to party president Mallikarjuna Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi, urging an alliance with the TVK, as per sources.
WHY VIJAY'S POLL TSUNAMI MATTERS
An earlier Axis My India survey had predicted a strong debut for the party, projecting 98 to 120 seats. Another poll by Chanakya also indicated significant gains for the debutant, but stopped short of forecasting a victory on this scale.
Most pollsters saw Vijay and his party as disruptors rather than giant killers, projecting just 2 to 10 seats and a vote share of under 20 per cent. However, the scale of the victory now places Vijay on the cusp of becoming the third actor to serve as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, after MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
Vijay’s unprecedented debut, comparable to NT Rama Rao’s political foray in united Andhra Pradesh in 1982, also confirmed the broad-based support he enjoyed across age groups, gender, class and caste during the campaign.
The mandate also suggested that the two-year-old party's push for "change" resonated with the people. In fact, nearly 40 per cent of the people surveyed by Axis My India said they would vote for TVK to "effect a change" in the state.
VIJAY REWRITES HISTORY
Unlike many other states, Tamil Nadu has long been a citadel of Dravidian politics, rooted in a political philosophy that blends ethnic pride, social justice, and anti-caste ideology.
Ever since the DMK ousted the Congress from power in 1967, the state has been governed only by parties grounded in Dravidian ideology. The AIADMK, founded by MGR in 1972 as an offshoot of the DMK, came to power in 1977.
Since then, the DMK–AIADMK duopoly has effectively pushed national parties like the Congress and the BJP to the margins of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.
It is not as though attempts were never made to challenge this dominance. Leaders such as Sivaji Ganesan, Vaiko, and Vijayakanth had tried to break the duopoly, but none succeeded until Vijay emerged victorious on May 4, 2026.
In a stunning political upset that has redrawn Tamil Nadu’s power map, actor-turned-politician Vijay has propelled his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), to emerge as the single largest force in the state.
What began as a fan-driven movement has now translated into a sweeping electoral mandate, dismantling the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK.
Riding on a wave of youth support, anti-incumbency sentiment, and a crafted grassroots campaign, Vijay has delivered a blockbuster performance that few predicted at this scale. The result signals not just a victory, but a decisive shift in Tamil Nadu’s political narrative.
DECODING THE NUMBERS
Vijay’s TVK won 108 seats, while the ruling DMK-led alliance won 73. The AIADMK bloc, which includes the BJP, secured 53 seats.
The TVK swept the Chennai region, winning 31 of the 37 seats. It also grabbed 52 of 65 urban constituencies, gains that appeared to have come largely at the expense of the DMK, traditionally dominant in urban Tamil Nadu.
The party also emerged as the largest force in western Tamil Nadu, winning 28 of the 57 seats. The region is the political backyard of former CM and AIADMK supremo Edappadi Palaniswamy.
After leading in rural constituencies during the initial phases of counting, the AIADMK saw a sharp decline. The TVK made significant inroads in this segment as well, winning as many seats as the AIADMK.
VIJAY WINS, STALIN LOSES
The man of the moment, Vijay, won both his seats – Perambur and Trichy East. However, Chief MK Stalin lost his Kolathur seat to TVK candidate VS Babu.
The TVK tsunami swept away many other top leaders too.
TVK candidate Vijay Dhamu, an auto driver, defeated AIADMK strongman D. Jayakumar in Chennai’s Royapuram. Another senior AIADMK leader, B Valarmathi, lost the Thousand Lights constituency to TVK’s Prabhakar JCD.
BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan lost to a TVK candidate in Chennai’s Mylapore, while Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran was defeated in Sattur.
CONTRASTING MOODS
The mood was sombre at the DMK headquarters, with cadres beginning to pack up as defeat became evident, while TVK supporters across Tamil Nadu erupted in celebration. Videos circulating on social media showed supporters waving party flags and raising slogans in support of the actor-turned-politician.
Meanwhile, celebrations broke out at actor-turned-politician Vijay’s residence, where his family rejoiced at the turn of events. A video clip showed Vijay’s family, including his father, celebrating with cheers, hugs and whistles.
In a parallel development, actress Trisha, who is rumoured to be in a relationship with the TVK supremo, also reached his residence.
Speaking to the media, Vijay’s father said he had encouraged his son to enter politics. “I motivated him. I wanted him to be a human being, not just an artist, and to think socially. For the past 30 years, he has believed he must do something for society and for the Tamil people,” SA Chandrasekhar said.
OPPOSITION ACCEPTS VERDICT
Sounderrajan accepted the people's verdict and hoped that Vijay would be able to repay the trust posed in him. "I think people have shown faith in a new face. I don’t know if it’s a Vijay wave or a wave of hatred against the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu," she told media.
Another BJP leader, K Annamalai, congratulated Vijay and praised the voters of the state for "choosing to raise their voice" against corruption and nepotism.
Later in the day, PM Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi too congratulated the political debutant.
"This mandate reflects the rising voice of youth which cannot, and will not, be ignored," said Gandhi.
Tamil Nadu Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that people voted for change and rejected the NDA, along with the "surrendered Palaniswami". He also urged "secular forces" to come together to protect Tamil Nadu from RSS proxies.
FOCUS SHIFTS TO POST-POLL ALLIANCE
The TVK said it is confident of forming a government in the state "without any support."
“We expected this. I don’t think we need support from any other party. We have been saying there is a silent Vijay wave. This shows Tamil Nadu was waiting for change. People were unhappy and fed up with both the DMK and the AIADMK," TVK’s Felix Gerald told India Today.
However, the party may not be able to cross the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. In such a scenario, Vijay will likely need allies to form the government.
The AIADMK sent feelers to the TVK. When asked whether the Dravidian outfit would align with the Vijay-led party, AIADMK spokesperson Apsara Reddy did not deny such a possibility to "keep the DMK out."
"The decision is ultimately left to the party. I’m sticking my neck out here and saying that if such a proposal comes, I don’t think the party would say no to that alliance," she said.
In another development that could reshape the INDIA bloc, Vijay’s father invited the Congress to ally with the TVK, offering a share in power. The proposal came nearly three months after speculation first emerged about a possible tie-up between the two parties.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders sent a report to party president Mallikarjuna Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi, urging an alliance with the TVK, as per sources.
WHY VIJAY'S POLL TSUNAMI MATTERS
An earlier Axis My India survey had predicted a strong debut for the party, projecting 98 to 120 seats. Another poll by Chanakya also indicated significant gains for the debutant, but stopped short of forecasting a victory on this scale.
Most pollsters saw Vijay and his party as disruptors rather than giant killers, projecting just 2 to 10 seats and a vote share of under 20 per cent. However, the scale of the victory now places Vijay on the cusp of becoming the third actor to serve as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, after MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
Vijay’s unprecedented debut, comparable to NT Rama Rao’s political foray in united Andhra Pradesh in 1982, also confirmed the broad-based support he enjoyed across age groups, gender, class and caste during the campaign.
The mandate also suggested that the two-year-old party's push for "change" resonated with the people. In fact, nearly 40 per cent of the people surveyed by Axis My India said they would vote for TVK to "effect a change" in the state.
VIJAY REWRITES HISTORY
Unlike many other states, Tamil Nadu has long been a citadel of Dravidian politics, rooted in a political philosophy that blends ethnic pride, social justice, and anti-caste ideology.
Ever since the DMK ousted the Congress from power in 1967, the state has been governed only by parties grounded in Dravidian ideology. The AIADMK, founded by MGR in 1972 as an offshoot of the DMK, came to power in 1977.
Since then, the DMK–AIADMK duopoly has effectively pushed national parties like the Congress and the BJP to the margins of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.
It is not as though attempts were never made to challenge this dominance. Leaders such as Sivaji Ganesan, Vaiko, and Vijayakanth had tried to break the duopoly, but none succeeded until Vijay emerged victorious on May 4, 2026.
