Tamil Nadu Result: Vijay to become the next chief minister? TVK chief emerges as new ‘Jana Nayagan’

Tamil Nadu Election: In a striking turn of events in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, surged ahead with early trends showing the party leading in 110 out of 234 seats.

Celebrations broke out at Vijay’s residence, where family members marked the moment with music and dance, notably to “Whistle Podu” from his film The Greatest of All Time.

After 10 rounds of counting, the party was leading in 107 seats, marking a remarkable performance in their first election. This surge has significantly dampened the DMK's hopes of securing a third consecutive term in power.

Chants of 'TVK' and 'Vijay' filled the air as supporters gathered outside the party headquarters in Panaiyur, distributing sweets and praising the party leader as "Muthalamaichar (Chief Minister) Vijay," who is still affectionately known as "Thalapathy (Commander)" from his film persona.

Can Vijay become the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu? Yes.

Current numbers from the Tamil Nadu assembly elections indicate that Vijay’s party has crossed the 100-seat mark, placing him in a strong position. With this momentum, Vijay has the option to ally with the AIADMK, potentially sidelining the BJP and eliminating any remaining political challenges.

Watch | Celebration at Vijay's house

TVK says ‘will form govt with absolute majority’

TVK national spokesperson Felix Gerald on Monday expressed confidence that the party would form the government in Tamil Nadu with an absolute majority as initial election trends showed the party 'scaling high'.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Gerald stated that the results were expected and claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu have chosen TVK because they are "fed up" with established parties.

"They may have experience of 50 or 75 years, but they have got experience only in looting the state," Gerald said, adding that the electorate trusts TVK as the alternative.

Know about Vijay's election promises

1. Six free LPG cylinders per year for households
2. 200 units of free electricity
3. ₹2,500 monthly assistance for women below 60 years
4. ₹4,000 monthly support for unemployed graduates
5. ₹2,000 monthly assistance for diploma holders
6. ₹25 lakh family health insurance cover
7. ₹25 lakh collateral-free loans for young entrepreneurs
8. ₹5 lakh interest-free loans for women self-help groups (SHGs)
9. ₹20 lakh collateral-free education loans for students
10. Establishment of 100 “Kamarajar Schools of Excellence”
11. One sovereign gold and a silk saree for economically weaker women at marriage
12. Focus on welfare schemes targeting youth, women, and job seekers

What happens if Vijay's party crosses majority mark?

If Vijay's party surpasses the majority mark of 118 seats, it would make history, as no party in Tamil Nadu has managed to come to power just two years after its formation. As of the latest data update, the party was leading in 109 seats, while the AIADMK and DMK were ahead in 63 and 40 seats, respectively.

A look at party-wise results

11 rounds have been completed: TVK candidate Kanimozhi Santhosh

TVK candidate from Kavundampalayam, Kanimozhi Santhosh said, “Around 11 rounds have been completed and we are leading by I hope 12,000-13,000 votes now and still we are expecting a raise because we don't compare, we don't argue and we don't compete with any person as such of now and we are just proving ourselves to people and this was the love and affection that the people have with Talapathy and that is the result coming on so we can just wait till evening you can just see the blasting of whistle this evening... It is a very positive change...”

Though AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran became Chief Minister in 1977 after founding his party in 1972, he had spent about two decades in the DMK before becoming CM. Therefore, if TVK crosses the majority threshold, its achievement will be unprecedented.

As the vote counting process progressed, TVK began to steadily pull ahead in round after round across various constituencies, including the Western Kongu regions, traditionally a stronghold for the AIADMK-BJP alliance. If these trends continue in favor of TVK, Vijay could achieve a historic electoral upset, similar to the significant victories of "1967, 1977" that he had referenced in his campaign speeches.

In 1967, Dravidian leader CN Annadurai led the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu after independence, while a decade later, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) established the first AIADMK government, dethroning the DMK-led administration under M Karunanidhi.

From the beginning of the counting process, starting with postal ballots, Vijay's party showed significant gains. As the EVM results were counted, these gains were solidified, and at one point, it appeared that TVK could replace AIADMK as the main opposition party, while DMK seemed set to retain power.

A poor show by the DMK has proved most exit polls wrong which gave an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," of governance.

If the DMK bites the dust, it would be in lines with its electoral history as it has never retained power barring 1971.

(With inputs from agencies)