TVK's VS Babu A Giantkiller? MK Stalin Trails From Kolathur Seat

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is currently trailing from his stronghold, the Kolathur seat, after the initial rounds of counting of votes polled in the April 23 state assembly elections.

Stalin, who is seeking a second straight term, is trailing Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's VS Babu by more than 7,300 votes, as per the latest trends available on the Election Commission website. AIADMK candidate R Santhanakrishnan is currently in the third position.

Kolathur is a seat that Stalin, the DMK president, has held since 2011. In 2021, he had won the seat by a margin of 70,384 votes against AIADMK's Aadhi Rajaram, who is now contesting the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency and is currently leading over Stalin's son, Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Babu is currently the joint general secretary of debutant TVK, which was launched by actor Vijay to take on the DMK and AIADMK.

TVK Setback For DMK, AIADMK In Tamil Nadu Elections

The TVK looks set to deal a big blow to the ruling DMK and the main opposition party, AIADMK, the latest trends on the EC website showed.

Vijay's party, which was launched in 2024, is currently ahead in 85 of the state's 234 seats.

Former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK is leading in 61 seats, while its ally, PMK, is ahead in six. The DMK is leading in 35 seats.

According to the EC data, more than a dozen Tamil Nadu ministers, including DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, Thangam Thennarasu, TRB Rajaa, Ma Subramanian, PK Sekar Babu, EV Velu, KN Nehru, Getha Jeevan and KKSSR Ramachandran are trailing.

If the trends maintain, Vijay, who is leading from both his seats -- Tiruchi (East) and Perambur -- could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset in Tamil Nadu.

Vijay's party would create history if it crosses the majority mark of 118 seats. No party has managed to assume power in Tamil Nadu in just two years after being founded.