In a dramatic turn of events in Tamil Nadu politics the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor-turned-politician Vijay has taken an early lead in the 2026 Assembly election trends, taking an early lead in almost 100 seats as of 11 am, according to data released by the Election Commission of India. As of the 234 constituencies with a little more than 10 percent votes counted, TVK was leading in 95 constituencies, which is an indication of a possible political change in the state.
Majority of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) seemed to be lagging far behind, with only 47 seats. Meanwhile, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led alliance is leading by about 76 seats, thus making the contest highly competitive. A party needs at least 118 seats to form the government, which means that TVK might still need to form a coalition government, should current trends hold.
Since 1967, when DMK assumed power due to the leadership of C N Annadurai, the Tamil Nadu has been dominated by Dravidian parties since 1967. The tendencies of the present trend are that there is a potential break-up of this long-time political pattern.
Even Vijay himself is contesting in two constituencies-Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East and is leading in both. In Perambur, he has a lead of over 13,000 votes whereas in Tiruchirappalli East, he leads by more than 5,000 votes.
The DMK has already been affected by the unexpected trends, with reports claiming that victory preparations at the Chennai headquarters of the DMK are being scaled down. With counting underway, everyone is still wondering whether TVK would be able to stay on track and redefine the political landscape of the state.