Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Defeated by TVK VS Babu in Kolathur Assembly Constituency

In a stunning development in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate VS Babu defeated the incumbent Chief Minister MK Stalin in his stronghold, Kolathur — marking one of the most dramatic moments of the election.

According to Election Commission trends after 22 rounds of counting for the April 23 polls, Babu secured over 82,000 votes, defeating Stalin by a margin exceeding 9,000 votes. Stalin, who had held the Kolathur seat since 2011, polled around 73,000 votes. R Santhanakrishnan of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) finished a distant third with about 14,000 votes.

The result marks a sharp reversal from the 2021 elections, when Stalin had won Kolathur by a margin of over 70,000 votes. That election had also seen his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, register a victory from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni.

VS Babu: The ‘Giant Killer’ of Kolathur

A seasoned political figure, VS Babu brings decades of experience across party lines. The 75-year-old leader previously held the Purasawalkam Assembly seat from 2006 to 2011 and served as a district secretary in north Chennai for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

He was once entrusted with overseeing Kolathur during the 2011 elections but reportedly fell out of favour following Stalin’s narrow victory that year. Babu later joined the AIADMK before switching to TVK earlier this year. He currently serves as the party’s joint general secretary.

TVK’s Breakthrough Performance

Founded by actor-turned-politician Vijay, TVK is contesting its maiden election—and is already poised to rewrite Tamil Nadu’s political playbook.

Early trends indicate that TVK is leading in over 100 of the state’s 234 constituencies, putting it ahead of both the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK. The AIADMK, led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, is leading in around 47 seats, while the DMK trails with leads in about 35 constituencies.

Adding to the shock for the ruling party, several senior DMK leaders and ministers—including Duraimurugan, Thangam Thennarasu, TRB Rajaa, M Subramanian, PK Sekar Babu, EV Velu, KN Nehru, Geetha Jeevan and KKSSR Ramachandran—are trailing in their respective constituencies.

Vijay on Course for Historic Debut

Vijay himself is leading comfortably from both Tiruchi (East) and Perambur constituencies, further strengthening TVK’s position. If current trends hold, the party could cross the majority mark of 118 seats — an unprecedented feat for a party just two years old.

Such an outcome would mark a historic political shift in Tamil Nadu, where no newly formed party has captured power so quickly. TVK’s surge signals a potential realignment in the state’s long-standing two-party dominance, setting the stage for a new political era.