Two years into the political arena and actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has already made history in Tamil Nadu. The party, in its poll debut in Assembly election 2026, has dented the the 59-year-old power shuffle between the two Dravidian parties – Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ( AIADMK) since 1967. That's 59 years!
According to the current Election Commission (EC) results for Tamil Nadu, the TVK has won 12 seats and leading on 97. The DMK has won seven constituencies and leading on 53; the AIADMK has not won a single seat so far. The final Tamil Nadu result 2026 is expected to be out only by night.
Since 1967, Tamil Nadu has switched between the Dravidian parties of DMK and AIADMK. If Vijay's party crosses the majority mark of 118 seats, it would be a new history with no parallels. No party, just two years after its founding has managed to assume power in the state.
In 1967, DMK's CN Annadurai broke Congress rally and became the chief minister. The state witnessed power being transferred to other leaders of the party including M Karunanidhi until 1977 when the state elected an AIADMK government and MG Ramachandran became the chief minister.
Since then, the power shuffled between the DMK and the AIADMK.
Tamil Nadu 2026
A record wave against the ruling DMK was clear when Chief Minister MK Stalin himself trailed behind TVK's little known VS Babu in Kolathur segment, as per EC updates. Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin was behind TVK's D Selvam in Chepauk-Thiruvalikeni. (Update: VS Babu has won, Udhayanidhi is leading)
Vijay is leading in Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur in Chennai.
If the DMK bites the dust, it would be in lines with its electoral history as it has never retained power barring 1971.
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 MK Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," of governance.
But Pradeep Gupta's Axis My India was the only pollster that had predicted a massive TVP surge in its debut. In its exit poll prediction, Axis My India had projected 98-120 seats for the TVP.
If Vijay's party falls short of a majority in the 234-member state assembly, it will need the support of other parties to form a government.
