New Delhi: Early trends from vote counting across key states have thrown up a major political surprise, with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as a dominant force in Tamil Nadu, reshaping what was expected to be a bipolar contest.
As of around 11:00 am, trends from Tamil Nadu show TVK leading in 104 of the 233 seats where counting is underway, significantly ahead of both the AIADMK alliance, which is leading in 76 seats, and the ruling DMK alliance, trailing with 52 seats. The scale of TVK’s performance marks the most striking development of the day, especially as pre-poll projections had largely favoured a DMK advantage in a three-cornered contest.
Vijay’s debut electoral outing has drawn attention for challenging established Dravidian parties directly. Unlike past actor-politicians such as M.G. Ramachandran or J. Jayalalithaa—who rose through existing party structures—a strong showing by TVK would signal a rare instance of a newly formed party converting individual popularity into immediate electoral success.
In eastern India, the Bharatiya Janata Party is closing in on forming the government in West Bengal. The party is leading in 148 of the 274 seats where trends are available, crossing the halfway mark in the 293-member Assembly. The ruling All India Trinamool Congress is trailing with 122 seats, while the Indian National Congress has not opened its account so far as per the trends being shown on Indian electronics media.
Speaking to journalists in Kolkata, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari expressed confidence that his party would form the next government in the state, citing early trends that indicate a shift in voter patterns. He also pointed to a competitive contest in key constituencies, suggesting that traditional voting blocs may not be as consolidated as in previous elections.
In Assam, the BJP-led alliance continues to maintain a strong lead, ahead in 95 of the 125 seats where trends are available. The Congress-led alliance is trailing with 27 seats, while others are leading in three constituencies.
Meanwhile, in Kerala, trends for all 140 seats indicate a clear lead for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which is ahead in 95 seats. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is leading in 42 seats, while the BJP-led alliance has opened its account with one seat. The results suggest a return to the state’s traditional pattern of alternating power between the two major alliances.
In Puducherry, the BJP-led alliance is ahead in 13 of the 23 seats where counting trends are available. The Congress-led alliance is leading in six seats, while others are ahead in four constituencies.
With counting still underway, the evolving trends point to both continuity and disruption—continuity in states like Assam and Kerala, and a potentially transformative shift in Tamil Nadu driven by the unexpected rise of TVK.
