CHENNAI: Early counting trends in Tamil Nadu suggest a significant political shift, with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), putting up a strong performance in its first election. Figures from the Election Commission of India on Monday showed TVK leading in 107 of the state’s 234 assembly seats after 10 rounds of counting, edging closer to the halfway mark of 117 needed to form a government. The early trends have dealt a blow to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which had been hoping for a third consecutive term. TVK leaders said they were confident of forming the government without alliances, even as smaller parties are expected to extend support if the trends hold. “You will see that there is no need for any coalition. I can assure you that much, we will form the Govt on our own. There are no ifs and buts; it is a very clear mandate. The message is very clear – people have put a full stop to the loot, corruption, nepotism and family politics. This is the end of dynasty, this is the end of DMK,” said TVK national spokesperson Felix Gerald. TVK’s performance also signals a potential break from the long-standing dominance of the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which have alternated in power in the state for decades. Vijay himself was leading in Tiruchirappalli (East) by more than 6,000 votes after the fourth round of counting, with 16,579 votes out of 22 rounds. His nearest rival, DMK’s Inigo Irudayaraj, had secured around 10,000 votes at that stage. He was also ahead in Perambur, with a margin of more than 10,000 votes over DMK’s R D Shekar. Scenes of celebration were reported at Vijay’s residence, where family members gathered to watch the results and sang the “whistle podu” song — a reference to the party’s symbol. His father S A Chandrasekar and other relatives were present. Security was stepped up outside his home as trends pointed to a strong showing for the party. Supporters also gathered outside the party’s headquarters in Chennai, waving flags and distributing sweets as early results indicated TVK could emerge as the single-largest party in the assembly. Among other parties, the AIADMK was leading in 64 seats, while the DMK was ahead in 44. Smaller parties including the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Indian National Congress (INC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were leading in a handful of constituencies.
