The counting of votes for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections commenced this Monday morning, with early trends revealing a surprising lead for actor-turned-politician Vijay’s newly established party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). As of 10:30 AM, TVK was reportedly ahead in 100 constituencies, according to data from the Election Commission.

The current ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), was trailing with leads in 53 seats, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was leading in 73. A total of 118 seats is required for a party or alliance to claim a majority in the 234-member Assembly.

Vote counting began at 8 AM after a significant turnout of 85.1% was recorded during the polling held on April 23 across all Assembly constituencies. Many exit polls had predicted that the DMK, led by MK Stalin, would secure a second consecutive term in government. However, one agency, Axis My India, indicated that TVK could potentially emerge as the single largest party, a remarkable feat for a party that is relatively new to the political arena.

The previous 2021 elections saw the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes Congress and the Left parties, achieve a decisive victory, winning 159 seats and ending a decade-long rule by the AIADMK. MK Stalin took office as chief minister following that victory. In contrast, the National Democratic Alliance, which included the AIADMK and BJP, managed to secure 75 seats.

In the run-up to these elections, Tamil Nadu was one of 12 states and Union Territories subjected to a special intensive revision of electoral rolls, which led to the removal of over 74 lakh names. This revision aimed to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the electoral process. As the counting progresses, it remains to be seen whether these early trends will hold and what implications they will have for the future political landscape of Tamil Nadu.