Counting trends from Tamil Nadu assembly elections showed several key constituencies witnessing tight contests, with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) maintaining an edge in multiple seats.Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), contesting its first Assembly election, has emerged as a strong challenger to the DMK and AIADMK as per early trends by the Election Commission.In Kolathur (Round 4), DMK leader M K Stalin polled 3,502 votes, while TVK’s V S Babu led with 3,776 votes, giving the newcomer a narrow edge.In Madurai South, TVK candidate Gopison was ahead with 16,333 votes, followed by DMK’s Boominathan (10,034 votes), BJP’s Raama Sreenivasan (7,216 votes), and NTK’s Sumathy (1,476 votes). TVK also maintained its lead after the fourth round.In Tirupur South, TVK’s S Balamurugan led with 7,612 votes, ahead of DMK’s N Dineshkumar, who polled 4,812 votes, with BJP and NTK trailing.TVK national spokesperson Felix Gerald said the party was confident of forming the government with a clear majority, citing strong early trends in its debut election.Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangaswamy also praised the party’s performance, saying Vijay had made a significant impact in Tamil Nadu politics.“Congratulations to TVK chief Vijay, who has made a great impact in Tamil Nadu,” said Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangaswamy, reflecting the attention TVK’s performance is drawing across the region.In key battlegrounds such as Kolathur, where Chief Minister MK Stalin is seeking re-election, the presence of TVK has added unpredictability to the contest as subsequent updates indicated. Early counting patterns in urban booths are being closely watched for signs of shifting voter dynamics.Counting of votes for all 234 constituencies in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections began at 8 am on 4 May, with postal ballots counted first, followed by electronic voting machines.The elections, held in a single phase on 23 April, saw a record turnout of over 85 percent.TVK’s influence is also being assessed in the context of 46 Scheduled Caste-reserved constituencies, which have historically swung between the major alliances and are seen as critical to forming the next government in further analysis. Even a modest vote share for TVK in these tightly contested seats could alter outcomes for both DMK and AIADMK.In the broader context of Tamil Nadu’s electoral history, the debut of new parties has produced mixed results, with some achieving breakthroughs and others failing to make a significant impact as per reports.“With the high-profile debut of actor-politician C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the 2026 Assembly elections, expectations are high about whether his party could breach the Dravidian duopoly or merely dent its margins.”Counting is expected to continue throughout the day, with results for all constituencies anticipated by the evening as details emerged. The final seat tally will determine whether TVK’s entry marks a significant shift or a modest debut in Tamil Nadu’s political arena.Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.