Chennai, May 4 (IANS) Actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has made a striking entry into Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, taking an early lead in the Assembly election results and emerging ahead of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in initial counting trends on Monday.

According to early figures, TVK is leading in around 80 Assembly constituencies, while the ruling DMK, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, is trailing with leads in 54 seats.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the AIADMK and the BJP, is currently behind with leads in 44 constituencies, indicating a significant shift in the state’s political dynamics.

In a closely watched contest, TVK has managed to edge past the DMK in successive rounds of counting.

At one stage, TVK was ahead in 75 seats compared to the DMK’s 66, underlining the intensity of the electoral battle and the growing footprint of the newcomer party across regions.

Key constituencies are witnessing high-stakes contests involving prominent leaders.

AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is leading from the Edappadi Assembly constituency in Salem district.

Chief Minister Stalin has secured a lead in his traditional stronghold of Kolathur after briefly trailing in the early rounds, where TVK candidate V.S. Babu had surged ahead.

In the southern belt, former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam is leading from the Bodinayakkanur constituency, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding political contest.

The early trends suggest that TVK’s debut election has disrupted the long-standing dominance of Dravidian majors, positioning the party as a serious contender in multiple regions.

Political observers note that while these leads are based on initial rounds of counting and postal ballots, they reflect a possible churn in voter preferences.

With counting still underway across 234 constituencies, the final outcome remains uncertain. However, the initial momentum enjoyed by TVK has set the stage for what could be a historic electoral verdict in Tamil Nadu, potentially redefining the state’s political trajectory.

--IANS

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