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.
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.
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.
