Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) created a major political upset in Tamil Nadu by emerging as the single-largest party in the 2026 Assembly election.

TVK won 108 of the 234 Assembly seats, falling 10 short of the 118-seat majority mark but finishing well ahead of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The result marked a dramatic entry into electoral politics for Vijay's relatively young party.

The election result subsequently led to a period of government-formation negotiations. TVK secured support from Congress, VCK, IUML and the Left parties, taking its coalition strength to 121 seats and allowing Vijay to form the government.

TVK Wins 108 Seats in Historic Debut

The 2026 election was TVK's first Assembly contest, making its performance particularly significant.

The party's official results record lists 108 seats for TVK, compared with 59 for DMK and 47 for AIADMK. Congress won five seats, while PMK won four. IUML, CPI, VCK and CPI(M) secured two seats each, while BJP, DMDK and AMMKMNKZ won one each.

The result transformed TVK from a new political entrant into the largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Vijay Wins Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East

Vijay himself won the Perambur constituency with 57.9% of the vote, according to the party's published election data. The result page records a victory margin of 43,651 votes over his nearest rival.

The TVK chief also contested Tiruchirappalli East, where the party recorded another victory. However, the party's official election account says Vijay was expected to resign from one of the two seats in accordance with the constitutional requirement that a person cannot simultaneously remain a member for two constituencies.

Vijay's victories gave the party's historic electoral debut an additional symbolic boost.

DMK and AIADMK Suffer Major Setbacks

The result represented a significant setback for Tamil Nadu's two traditional Dravidian political forces.

DMK finished with 59 seats, while AIADMK won 47. The outcome substantially altered the conventional electoral balance between the two established parties and the new TVK.

The emergence of TVK as the largest party was particularly notable because the party had been formed only recently and entered the Assembly contest without the decades-long organisational history of DMK or AIADMK.

Vijay Needs Allies to Cross Majority Mark

Although TVK emerged as the largest party, its 108 seats were below the 118 required for a simple majority in the 234-member Assembly.

That made post-election alliances crucial.

Congress, VCK, IUML and the Left parties subsequently extended support to the TVK-led formation. The combined strength reached 121 seats, allowing Vijay to cross the majority threshold and form the government.

The arrangement also demonstrated that TVK's rise was not based solely on its individual seat tally but on its ability to assemble a broader legislative support base.

New Ruling Alliance Takes Shape

The coalition has since moved beyond the initial government-formation negotiations.

In September, TVK and several of its allies formally named their ruling bloc the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance. Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML leaders participated in the alliance's coordination process, while CPI and CPI(M) have maintained support from outside the formal alliance structure.

The development indicates that Vijay's political challenge has moved from winning the election to managing a coalition government involving parties with different ideological and organisational backgrounds.

A New Phase in Tamil Nadu Politics

TVK's 108-seat victory has disrupted the state's traditional two-party contest.

The result does not mean that the established Dravidian parties have disappeared from Tamil Nadu politics. DMK and AIADMK continue to command substantial legislative strength. But TVK's performance has established Vijay as a major political force after just one Assembly election.

The next test for the new government will be whether TVK can convert its electoral breakthrough into sustained administration and whether its coalition remains stable.

The upcoming Assembly bypolls will provide an early test of the party's organisational strength. TVK has already announced candidates for the October 2026 bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram.

For Tamil Nadu politics, however, the central message of the 2026 election is already clear: Vijay's TVK has broken into the state's political establishment at the first attempt and emerged as its largest party.

India is on the cusp of its biggest electoral exercise since the 2024 general elections. The Election Commission of India held a press conference at 4 PM on Sunday, March 15 to formally announce the polling schedule for assembly elections in four states — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam — along with the Union Territory of Puducherry. The announcement sets in motion the Model Code of Conduct across all five regions, placing immediate restrictions on government announcements, freebies, transfers of officials, and political campaign spending.

Why These Elections Matter — Combined 824 Seats Across Five Regions

Together, these five elections cover 824 assembly seats — making this one of the largest simultaneous state election cycles in recent Indian history. West Bengal alone accounts for 294 seats, followed by Tamil Nadu with 234, Kerala with 140, Assam with 126, and Puducherry with 30. The outcome will shape political power across India's south, east, and northeast for the next five years and will be widely read as a national barometer of political sentiment ahead of the 2029 general elections.

Voting is expected to take place in April, with results likely to be declared in early May. Tamil Nadu elections are widely expected to be held in the second week of April. The assembly terms end on different dates — West Bengal on May 7, Tamil Nadu on May 10, Assam on May 20, Kerala on May 23, and Puducherry on June 15.

West Bengal — TMC's Fourth Term vs BJP's Charge

West Bengal is the most politically charged battleground of the five. The Trinamool Congress under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking a fourth consecutive term in power — a feat unprecedented in the state's modern political history. The BJP is mounting a serious challenge, hoping to convert its strong 2024 general election performance in the state into assembly seats. Past West Bengal elections have been marked by political violence, and the Election Commission has made tight security arrangements a centrepiece of its preparation for this round.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar personally visited West Bengal to review poll readiness before returning to Delhi on March 10. The Municipal Commissioner has been appointed as the District Election Officer for North Kolkata — an unusual step reflecting the special administrative challenges the city presents.

Congress took a sharp dig at the poll body on Sunday, saying the Model Code of Conduct now stands for "Modi's Code of Campaigning," while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called the commission "an extended branch of the BJP."

Tamil Nadu — A Three-Way Contest With Actor Vijay in the Mix

Tamil Nadu's election has taken on an entirely new dimension with the entry of actor Vijay into electoral politics through his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party. What was previously a direct contest between the ruling DMK under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the opposition AIADMK — now allied with the BJP — has become a triangular battle that could significantly split the anti-incumbency vote and complicate seat projections for all three sides.

Kerala — CPI(M) Eyes Historic Third Term

In Kerala, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking what would be a historic third consecutive term — something no political front has achieved in Kerala's post-independence history. The Congress-led United Democratic Front is mounting a strong comeback campaign, citing anti-incumbency, the Sabarimala gold theft case, and a series of controversies surrounding the ruling government. The contest is expected to be one of the tightest in the state in decades.

Assam — Himanta Biswa Sarma Seeks Second Term

In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is seeking a second term at the helm of a BJP government. The opposition Congress is grappling with internal divisions and the exit of several prominent leaders in the months leading up to the election. The party has released a second list of 23 candidates while leaving 15 seats for alliance partners. Sarma's aggressive campaigning and high public profile make him a difficult target to dislodge, though opposition parties are banking on local issues including unemployment and flooding-related concerns.

Puducherry — Rangasamy Government Faces Anti-Incumbency Test

In Puducherry, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy's All India N.R. Congress is facing a strong anti-incumbency wave after its time in power. The Congress and DMK-led opposition is targeting the Union Territory's 30 seats aggressively. Elections in Puducherry traditionally take place in a single phase due to the territory's small size.

Model Code of Conduct Now in Force

With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct came into force simultaneously across all five regions. State governments are now barred from announcing new schemes, making major appointments, or using government resources for political campaigns. All transfers of government officials in poll-bound states require prior Election Commission approval.

The Election Commission has confirmed that final electoral rolls have been published in all five regions as part of the Special Intensive Revision exercise conducted earlier this year. Full deployment of central security forces is expected well ahead of polling day, particularly in West Bengal and Assam.