Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2026

The order of songs at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's swearing-in has triggered a protest from the CPI. The party says Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu must be given precedence and wants the government to explain the decision.

The warmth between the two leaders, coming just days after the Congress ended its decades-old alliance with the DMK, could signal the emergence of a new political equation not just in Tamil Nadu, but possibly at the national level as well.

Former DMK minister KR Periyakaruppan has moved the Madras High Court after losing the Tiruppattur seat to TVK's Seenivasa Sethupathy by just one vote. The court will hold a special Sunday sitting to hear his plea seeking to restrain the TVK MLA from taking oath or participating in Assembly proceedings.

Vijay's TVK had defeated the ruling MK Stalin-led DMK in the Assembly election. Vijay didn't just weaken the DMK by snatching seats from it in direct contests, his path to the chief minister's office was made possible by the Dravida party's allies. The DMK is now left without its longtime friends.

TTV Dhinakaran has accused Vijay's TVK of using a forged letter and an AI-generated video to show support from AMMK MLA Kamaraj S.

Palaniswami's post quickly set off political chatter because it came amid intense uncertainty over whether Vijay's Vijay-led TVK had managed to gather enough support to cross the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.

Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty used a satirical post to question the DMK over reports of contacts with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The swipe also accused the party of trying to block Vijay-led TVK from aligning with secular parties at the BJP's behest.

VCK leader Vanni Arasu posted a cryptic message on X as questions persisted over the party's support to Vijay and TVK. The post intensified speculation over VCK's role while Vijay sought numbers to form the government in Tamil Nadu.

P Chidambaram said Congress and the wider political establishment had underestimated Vijay and TVK before the Tamil Nadu verdict. He said Congress backed TVK after the results to avoid another election and President's Rule.

The latest move followed TVK releasing a video of lone AMMK MLA S Kamaraj allegedly writing a support letter backing the Vijay-led party, directly countering Dhinakaran's earlier claim that a forged letter had been circulated.

In a major revelation, CPI(M) leader MA Baby said the DMK had floated the idea of extending outside support to an AIADMK government and urged the Left to follow suit. He said his party rejected the proposal and instead backed Vijay's TVK to "defend the people's verdict".

The alliance between the DMK and the Congress has been declared dead in the water after the latter's decision to side with the TVK in Tamil Nadu. The DMK wants to distance itself from the Congress even in Delhi. DMK MP Kanimozhi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker, seeking a change in the seats in the House.

Vijay is all set to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu after receiving the support of the Congress, VCK and two Left parties. Amid the buzz of the DMK and the AIADMK coming together to block Vijay's path to power, the TVK chief still held all the cards. This is how Vijay has saved the DMK and AIADMK from a political suicide.

Vijay has been turned back by the Governor twice after the TVK emerged as the single largest party in its debut Tamil Nadu election. A possible technical error may have emerged as Vijay's hurdle in TVK's bid to form the government.

Ananthan Ayyasamy, who worked as an engineer at Intel, joined the BJP and was appointed district president of Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu. For the next four years, he immersed himself completely in grassroots work across villages.

As Tamil Nadu's fractured mandate triggers frantic backroom negotiations, the AIADMK has shifted its MLAs to a luxury beachside resort in Puducherry.

Thalapathy Vijay's TVK was voted by the people of Tamil Nadu as the single biggest party. The Governor must give him a chance to form the government. That is the convention and judicial interpretation of the Supreme Court, and Vijay shouldn't be kept waiting.

Vijay met the Governor despite being six MLAs short of the required number. The move highlighted his confidence that political backing would carry him through the confidence vote.

The DMK has opened backchannel talks with the AIADMK as the TVK seeks allies to form a government in Tamil Nadu. The rare contact between the two arch-rivals stirred fresh buzz over shifting political equations in the state.

In a dramatic turn of events, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay met Governor Rajendra Arlekar to stake claim but was asked to return with proof of 118 MLAs, with sources saying he submitted a letter of support from only 112 MLAs.

From the Congress to the AIADMK, parties are scrambling to back Thalapathy Vijay, not out of ideology, but for survival. If a government isn't formed, the TVK is likely to return with a landslide, which will put the existence of all parties in Tamil Nadu at stake.

Vijay's TVK has intensified efforts to form a coalition government in Tamil Nadu after emerging as the single largest party with 108 seats. AIADMK sources earlier said the party was planning to support TVK, but Vijay has paused talks after sealing an alliance with the Congress.

As per sources, Congress passed a resolution in a virtual meeting on Tuesday night to extend conditional support to TVK, seeking cabinet posts and chairmanships in certain boards, with a formal announcement expected on Thursday, followed by a meeting with Vijay in Panaiyur.

According to sources, the actor-politician is exploring talks with the Congress, Left parties, and other smaller regional outfits, including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI(M), CPI, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), to secure numbers for a coalition arrangement. Invitations to these parties are expected to be sent soon.

As Vijay prepares to lead Tamil Nadu after TVK's breakthrough, comparisons with Dhoni have sharpened. The parallel frames the bigger test ahead: coalition management, crisis response and delivery in government.

A fan traces how Thalapathy Vijay's Diwali releases became a cherished personal ritual. His move into politics now turns that annual theatre celebration into a bittersweet memory.

Once projected as the BJP's face of expansion in Tamil Nadu, IPS officer-turned-politician K Annamalai found himself off the ballot as the party pivoted back to alliance with the AIADMK. What does his absence from the centre stage highlight? How does his absence reflect the BJP's own dilemma in Tamil Nadu?

One voter travelled from Muscat to cast her vote for TVK in Tiruppattur, where DMK minister KR Periyakaruppan lost by a single vote as the party surged.