Vijay’s TVK storms TN, falls short of majority; leaders hail ‘people’s mandate’

A day after delivering a stunning electoral debut, leaders of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), founded by actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay, said the party remains committed to fulfilling its promises, thanking voters for their overwhelming support in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Winning candidates assembled at the party headquarters in Panaiyur, Chennai, amid tight security and heavy police deployment, to chart the party’s next steps following its breakthrough performance.

Calling the result a “landmark moment”, Anna Nagar MLA V.K. Ramkumar said, “This is a massive victory for Tamil Nadu. We dedicate this win to the people who have placed their trust in us. We will carry forward all the promises made by our leader.” He added that the mandate reaffirmed the power of voters. “This proves that people have the ultimate power in elections. We hope to deliver the best for them.”

Polur MLA Abishek R. said the immediate focus would be internal strategy discussions. “We have gathered here for a meeting and will discuss ways to move forward,” he noted.

Striking a combative tone, Kancheepuram MLA R.V. Ranjith Kumar accused previous regimes of entrenched corruption. “Tamil Nadu has only seen corrupt governance. Even in the last five years, Rs 5 lakh crore has been borrowed, burdening people with debt, while only a few prosper. Because our leader promised to eradicate corruption, the people have given us this mandate,” he said.

Invoking history, he added, “In 1977, M.G. Ramachandran formed the government; now, Vijay has led a similar revolution. Thalapathy will deliver on every promise and work cooperatively with the Centre.” He also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated TVK on its performance.

From Coimbatore (North), V. Sampath Kumar thanked voters for rejecting money power. “People voted with conviction that doing good matters more than money, defeating those who tried to win by spending thousands of crores,” he said.

Ending nearly six decades of Dravidian dominance, TVK has emerged as the surprise political force of the 2026 elections. Contesting its maiden poll, the party is leading in 108 of the 234 seats — just 10 short of the 118 required for a simple majority — placing it in a pivotal position in government formation while cementing its arrival as a major player in Tamil Nadu politics.

With IANS inputs