Vijay’s TVK unleashes tsunami in Tamil Nadu polls, DMK & AIADMK fall by the wayside

The record voter turnout of around 85 per cent reflected strong enthusiasm, particularly among youth, women, and urban voters attracted to TVK’s focus on jobs, education loans, women's empowerment.

TVK chief Vijay (file photo) and his parents celebrating his party's performance in the Tamil Nadu polls | ANI

Chennai: Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), contesting solo across nearly all 234 seats in its debut election, has overturned the Tamil Nadu elections, emerging much stronger than the mere disruptor the party was expected to be. According to data released by the Election Commission at 5 pm, the TVK had won 10 seats and was leading in 100 of the 234 seats, just 11 seats short of a simple majority.

TVK has left behind the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led National democratic Alliance (NDA), and others like the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).

The record voter turnout of around 85 per cent reflected strong enthusiasm, particularly among youth, women, and urban or semi-urban voters attracted to TVK’s focus on jobs, education loans, and women’s empowerment initiatives.

TVK has done much better than the projected vote share of between 15 and 25 per cent.

The party has shown a remarkable performance in all 234 seats, mainly in urban pockets, northern districts and select southern areas. Actor Vijay has managed to convert fans to voters, despite his inexperience and lack of alliances.

The four-cornered nature of the contest notably shrank victory margins across many constituencies, consistent with historical patterns seen in 2006 with Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam’s (DMDK) entry and in 2016. New players like TVK fragment votes, turning safer seats into tight fights and making even small shifts in voter preference decisive. TVK’s debut amplified the importance of turnout and last-minute consolidations.

TVK’s impact on the two major Dravidian parties varied by regions. While it hurt the AIADMK more by taking away anti-incumbency votes, TVK eroded DMK support more significantly, attacking the ruling party on its incumbency drift, questioning the law and order situation and governance issues, something the AIADMK also targeted.

As analysts highlight, the party leaned heavily on Vijay’s personal popularity without deep organisational structures, cadre-building or clearly articulated ideologies beyond its leader’s appeal.

“Overall, TVK brought in fresh faces, offering a platform for youth and women’s participation, and added to the unpredictability of Tamil Nadu politics. It complicated the traditional Dravidian duopoly dynamic, narrowed margins, and established a notable debut presence through vote share,” said political analyst Arun Kumar to ThePrint. 

(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)