Counting of votes for the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly got under way on Monday, with actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) establishing a commanding lead in over 100 constituencies by late morning. According to the Election Commission of India, TVK was ahead in around 105 seats as of 11.20 a.m., while the AIADMK-led alliance held the lead in 75 seats and the ruling DMK alliance trailed in 47.
Elections to the Assembly were conducted in a single phase on April 23, recording a voter turnout of 85.1 per cent with nearly 4.8 crore votes cast. Polling officials are scrutinising votes, including postal ballots, at 62 counting centres across the State, where approximately 1.25 lakh security personnel have been deployed. Strict protocols, including mandatory QR code-based identity cards, are in place for entry into counting halls.
The contest has shaped up as a keenly fought triangular battle among the incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), its principal rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and the relatively new Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Most exit polls had projected an edge for the DMK alliance, though one agency, Axis My India, had forecast a strong showing for TVK with 98-120 seats.
Several senior DMK leaders, including Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, were trailing their rivals in early rounds. In Kolathur, Stalin lagged behind TVK’s V.S. Babu after multiple rounds of counting. Other prominent DMK figures such as ministers Duraimurugan, Thangam Thennarasu, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, and Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) also found themselves behind TVK or AIADMK candidates in their respective constituencies.
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TVK president Vijay himself maintained a comfortable lead in Tiruchi East, extending his margin in subsequent rounds. Party workers celebrated in places like Kancheepuram as leads poured in from across the State. AIADMK candidates, on the other hand, were ahead in constituencies such as Veerapandi, Hosur, and Nannilam, while the party’s former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was leading in Edappadi.
The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), led by film director Seeman, which fielded candidates in all 234 seats with significant representation for women and one transgender candidate, was yet to make a notable impact in the early trends.
Trends continued to shift as more rounds were completed, with leads reported for various parties in different regions. The final outcome will determine whether TVK converts its early momentum into a decisive victory or if the established Dravidian parties stage a recovery.
