In a development that has sent shockwaves across the country, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has lost his stronghold of Kolathur in the 2026 Assembly elections. In what is being described as one of the biggest upsets in Indian political history, V.S. Babu, representing actor Vijay’s newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), secured the seat with 68,419 votes. Stalin, a veteran leader and the face of the DMK, trailed by a margin of 7,731 votes, marking a definitive shift in the state’s traditional political hierarchy.
The rise of TVK was further cemented by another landmark victory in Royapuram, where Vijay Dhamu—an auto driver by profession—defeated heavyweights like AIADMK’s D. Jayakumar and DMK’s Subair Khan. These victories are being hailed as a triumph of grassroots empowerment and a clear indication that the Tamil Nadu electorate is moving away from the decades-long bipolar dominance of the DMK and AIADMK. The emergence of Vijay’s party as a formidable third force suggests a new era of politics centered on change and direct public connection.
As the results unfolded, congratulations flooded in for Vijay from both the film industry and the political sphere. Prominent figures like actor Kajal Aggarwal and Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh lauded the “spectacular debut,” noting that the results reflect the evolving aspirations of a younger generation. While AIADMK’s Edappadi K. Palaniswami maintained his dominance in his own seat, the overall narrative of the 2026 election remains the stunning displacement of an incumbent Chief Minister by a debutant political entity, signaling a total transformation of the dravidian political landscape.
