Rahul Gandhi thanked MK Stalin and Kanimozhi for birthday wishes amid an acrimonious split between Congress and DMK after Tamil Nadu election results, where Congress backed Vijay's TVK, leading to DMK's exit from the INDIA bloc.
In India's democracy, fractured election results often lead to governors becoming key arbiters in government formation. The recent Tamil Nadu election saw actor-politician Vijay's party emerge as the single largest, but short of a majority, highlighting the constitutional grey zone regarding the governor's discretion in inviting parties to form a government.
The Election Commission of India is investigating claims that foreign nationals voted in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections on April 23. Ten individuals from Sri Lanka, the UK, and Canada were arrested attempting to leave India with fraudulent IDs and indelible ink marks on their fingers.
The DMK has challenged a one-vote election loss in Tiruppattur, alleging a postal ballot mix-up between two districts of the same name. The Madras High Court has barred the winning TVK MLA from participating in the assembly floor test until the petition is resolved.
Following the Tamil Nadu election results, AIADMK factions engaged in backroom dealings to either support or block C Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming a government. While some AIADMK leaders attempted to engineer defections for TVK, Edappadi K Palaniswami opposed any support, leading to MLAs being moved to resorts.
Cracks have emerged within the INDIA bloc following the Tamil Nadu election results, with the DMK accusing its ally, the Congress, of "backstabbing" for supporting actor-politician Vijay's TVK party. The DMK criticized the Congress' decision as "foolhardy" and driven by ego, questioning its trustworthiness and potential impact on other alliance partners.
In a nail-biting finish, TVK candidate R Seenivasa Sethupathy narrowly defeated DMK minister K R Periyakaruppan by a single vote in the Tirupattur constituency. The final tally saw Sethupathy secure 83,375 votes against Periyakaruppan's 83,374, following a prolonged counting process that included re-verification of postal ballots.
The BJP's ambition to expand in Tamil Nadu faced a setback as actor Vijay's party, TVK, emerged as the single largest party, disrupting the Dravidian dominance. A leadership vacuum and identity clashes, including the three-language policy, hindered the BJP's prospects, while TVK successfully captured anti-DMK sentiment.
Movie star Vijay's new party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has made a significant electoral debut in Tamil Nadu, disrupting the state's traditional two-party system. Despite a strong performance, the party failed to secure an outright majority.
Actor-politician Vijay's party TVK has emerged as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu elections, with Vijay currently leading in both Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East - two seats traditionally held by the DMK. The electoral debut of the actor-politician from key battlegrounds in north and central Tamil Nadu indicates a split verdict as counting progresses.
Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout exceeding 84.80% in the recent assembly elections. The state awaits the May 4 vote count, which will determine the political future of key leaders including MK Stalin, Edappadi K Palaniswami, and debutant Vijay.
Exit polls present a stark contrast for Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections. While most predict a spoiler role with 10-24 seats, one outlier suggests a Kejriwal-like breakthrough of 98-120 seats. The outcome hinges on converting star power into grassroots strength, unlike Prashant Kishor's Bihar debut.
Exit polls for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) project Vijay's party in the 10-24 seat range in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, with one outlier (Axis MyIndia) projecting 98-120 seats. The May 4 results will determine whether Vijay follows Arvind Kejriwal's 2013 Delhi breakthrough or Prashant Kishor's failed Bihar experiment. While TVK could split anti-incumbent votes aiding DMK, converting popularity into booth-level efficiency remains challenging against established Dravidian party machinery.
Tamil superstar Joseph Vijay has launched his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), to contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. His solo campaign challenges the established DMK and AIADMK duopoly, testing whether cinematic popularity can overcome traditional grassroots machinery.
The Election Commission has seized over Rs 1,072 crore in cash, liquor, drugs, and freebies in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to prevent voter influence during ongoing elections. Extensive surveillance teams have been deployed to ensure compliance with the Model Code of Conduct.
Actor Vijay's newly-launched TVK party is disrupting Tamil Nadu's traditional two-party electoral system by fielding candidates in 233 of 234 assembly constituencies. The party aims to capitalize on Vijay's massive fan following, particularly among young women, in a state where 120 of 234 seats had winning margins under 20,000 votes in 2021. Vijay is contesting from Perambur in Chennai and Trichy East, while the party projects itself as a serious contender against the DMK-Congress alliance.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "terrorist" at a press conference in Chennai on the final day of campaigning for Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Kharge was criticising AIADMK for allying with the BJP, claiming such alliances weaken democracy and the philosophies of Dravidian leaders. He later clarified he meant Modi "terrorises" people and political parties through agencies like ED, I-T and CBI. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya condemned the remark as a degradation of political discourse. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
