Actor-turned-politician and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay appears to have made a blockbuster electoral debut, with official Election Commission showing his party leading in over 100 seats of the state’s 234 seats.
Earlier in the day, Vijay took early steps to keep his party united after exit polls projected a strong debut for TVK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Sources said Vijay directed all winning candidates to immediately reach the party headquarters in Panaiyur after results are declared, amid fears of possible poaching attempts by rival parties, reported India Today.
The move triggered early signs of “resort politics” in Tamil Nadu even before the final results were declared. According to India Today report quoting sources, TVK leaders have prepared a contingency plan to move MLAs to a secure location, including a resort, if the party secures a strong tally in the 234-member Assembly. Party leaders fear attempts by rival camps to influence newly elected MLAs in a close contest where government formation may depend on numbers.
The decision came after concerns inside the party during the nomination scrutiny phase. A TVK candidate from Edappadi had allegedly gone missing briefly, which raised alarm within the leadership over pressure tactics and possible political interference. Since then, party leaders have kept close coordination with candidates and local units.
TVK leaders believe the party could emerge as a major force in Tamil Nadu politics after decades of dominance by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Exit polls projected a major breakthrough for Vijay’s first electoral contest as party chief.
Why is TVK worried about poaching?
According to the Today’s Chanakya exit poll, TVK may win around 63 seats with nearly 30 per cent vote share. The projection places the party as a decisive third force in the state. Another exit poll by Axis My India predicted an even stronger performance, estimating 98 to 120 seats for TVK. Such numbers could place the party close to the majority mark of 117 seats.
Party insiders fear that if the final outcome produces a fractured mandate, rival alliances may try to attract TVK MLAs to strengthen their position. This concern prompted the leadership to prepare a resort strategy in advance.
TVK is contesting the elections alone. The party faces the AIADMK-led NDA alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the ruling DMK-led alliance supported by the Congress.
Vijay’s performance in Tamil Nadu polls
Early Election Commission trends showed Vijay leading in the Tiruchirappalli East Assembly constituency by more than 1,000 votes after the first round of counting. His main rival, DMK candidate Inigo Irudayaraj, trailed in the early rounds.
Vijay also contested from Perambur, making his electoral debut one of the most closely watched battles in Tamil Nadu politics. Party workers gathered outside the TVK headquarters in Chennai from early morning as counting began under heavy security arrangements.
Counting of postal ballots started at 8 am, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counting from 8.30 am. Officials updated round-wise trends through the Election Commission portal and ECINET platform.
At Queen Mary’s College counting centre in Chennai, early postal ballot trends showed the DMK alliance ahead in several constituencies. In Chepauk-Triplicane, the DMK secured 21 postal votes, while AIADMK got seven and TVK received six. In Harbour constituency, DMK secured 19 postal votes compared to AIADMK’s seven and TVK’s nine.
In RK Nagar, DMK received 22 postal votes, AIADMK got seven and TVK secured 11. Royapuram showed DMK with 10 votes, AIADMK with seven and TVK with six. In Thiruvikanagar, TVK slightly edged ahead with 10 postal votes compared to DMK’s nine and AIADMK’s five.
Despite strong projections for TVK, most exit polls still predicted that the DMK-led alliance may retain power in Tamil Nadu.