CHENNAI: If early trends hold, actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, could emerge as a significant new force in Tamil Nadu politics.Early trends indicated an advantage for TVK founder Vijay in both Tiruchi (East) and Perambur constituencies.TVK pushed AIADMK to third position in several constituencies while DMK continued to be ahead in the race. In its first-ever assembly election, TVK appears to be converting Vijay’s massive popularity into electoral gains at scale. Vijay is leading in the Tiruchirappalli East assembly constituency at the end of the first round of counting by a margin of 1,669 votes, following the counting of votes for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections began on Monday.TVK chief and former actor Vijay is contesting from Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur seats too with a lot depending on today’s performance and his party’s political debut.His main rival, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate Inigo Irudayaraj, is trailing behind in the initial round, according to early counting trends.The party is contesting the elections alone, against the NDA alliance led by AIADMK, along with the BJP. While the DMK led alliance, along with Congress, is looking to retain power in the state.TVK chief Vijay’s entry had turned the Tamil Nadu polls triangular. The politics in the state have traditionally been dominated by alliances led by the DMK and AIADMK.The party’s strong showing signals a potential break from Tamil Nadu’s decades-old bipolar politics dominated by the DMK and AIADMK. The state, which voted in a single phase on April 23, is witnessing counting for all 234 seats on Monday, with early trends already indicating a significant churn in voter preferences.For decades, politics in Tamil Nadu has revolved around two Dravidian giants — DMK and AIADMK. Election after election, new entrants have tried to break this duopoly, but most have struggled to make a lasting impact. In the 2026 assembly elections, the bipolar contest was disrupted by a high-profile cinematic entry, as actor-turned-politician Vijay Thalapathy positioned himself as an alternative for the people in the state.
