MK Stalin, Vijay, EPS Face High-Stakes Battles In Key Tamil Nadu Seats

The electoral battlelines are drawn, and voting day is here in Tamil Nadu, which goes to the polls in a single phase on April 23. The ruling DMK – in alliance with Congress and DMDK – faces AIADMK, which has tied up with BJP and PMK. 

With the debut of actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Tamil Nadu is set to witness triangular battles in multiple constituencies. 

In a 234-member Legislative Assembly, a party needs to secure at least 118 seats to form the government. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.

Key constituencies

Kolathur: Represented by Chief Minister MK Stalin for three consecutive terms, Kolathur is one of the most high-profile constituencies in Tamil Nadu. This time, Stalin faces AIADMK's P Santhanakrishnan and TVK's VS Babu. 

Part of the Chennai North Lok Sabha constituency, Kolathur has a total of 207,251 registered electors as per the 2026 electoral rolls, comprising 99,607 males, 107,607 females, and 37 third-gender voters.

Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni: The constituency has long been a stronghold of the DMK, closely associated with party patriarch M Karunanidhi, who won consecutive terms here in 1996, 2001 and 2006. The seat is currently held by his grandson, Udhayanidhi Stalin. 

In his debut in 2021, Udhayanidhi Stalin registered a landslide win, with a vote share of 67.89 per cent.

The 2026 election appears to be more challenging as local issues, particularly concerns over stray cattle and fears of eviction among residents living in slums, have begun to surface.

As per the 2026 electoral rolls, the constituency has a total of 163,866 registered electors, comprising 79,412 males, 84,396 females, and 58 third-gender voters. DMK faces tough competition from AIADMK's Adhirajaram as well as TVK candidate D Selvam.

Perambur: Considered one of the key urban seats in Tamil Nadu, Perambur has historically seen close contests. In recent years, it has leaned towards the DMK. The 2019 bypoll and the 2021 Assembly election in Perambur both saw DMK's RD Sekar winning by big margins.

The 2026 contest is expected to be different. Vijay is contesting from here against DMK's Sekar, PMK's M Thilagabama and NTK's Vetri Tamizhan in the Perambur seat. He is also contesting from the Trichy East constituency.

Edappadi: A stronghold of the AIADMK, closely associated with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. He has represented the seat since 2011. Earlier, he won here in 1989 and 1991. 

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Palaniswami registered a dominant victory, securing over 1.5 lakh votes with an impressive vote share of 66.27 per cent.

For the 2026 elections, Edappadi is set for a three-cornered contest. Palaniswami faces DMK's Kasi and TVK's M Arunkumar.