Chief Minister MK Stalin stunned in Kolathur, loses to TVK candidate
The majority mark for the formation of government in Tamil Nadu is 118. Elections to all 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu were held in a single phase on April 23.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has lost to VS Babu, the candidate fielded by actor-politician Vijay's TVK in the Kolathur constituency for the 2026 Assembly elections in the state. The outcome came as the debutant outfit stunned the entire country by emerging as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu.
As of 4.15 pm on Monday, the TVK had won 11 seats and was leading in 96 other constituencies. Meanwhile, the ruling DMK had emerged victorious in 4 seats and was ahead in 67 others. The majority mark for the formation of government in Tamil Nadu is 118.
FAVOURABLE FACTORS FOR TVK
The TVK's performance is being attributed to strong support from young voters, the benefit of anti-incumbency sentiment, and a well-planned grassroots outreach. The result signals a decisive shift in Tamil Nadu’s long-term political landscape.
Early trends on Monday showed TVK making magnificent strides in the Chennai region by leading in 31 out of 37 Assembly seats there. Its candidates were also ahead in 49 of 65 urban constituencies, gains that appeared to come largely at the expense of the DMK.
TVK'S CALL FOR ALLIANCE
As it paced past its rivals to gain a massive lead on counting day, the Vijay-helmed party initially said it was confident about the prospects of forming a government in Tamil Nadu "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, as trends stabilised later in the day, it became apparent that the party may not be able to cross the majority mark on its own. Amid the celebrations among the TVK cadre, Vijay’s father openly invited the Congress, a key DMK ally, for a post-poll alliance.
The proposal came nearly three months after speculation first emerged about a possible tie-up between the two parties.
SA Chandrasekhar, Vijay's father, linked the Congress party’s current situation to what he described as a loss of power and shift in alliances. "Congress has a history and tradition. Such a Congress, why is it diminishing? Due to lack of power," he said.
Elections for all 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu were held in a single phase on April 23.
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