Counting of votes in Tamil Nadu is underway, and early trends are showing a major shift in the state’s political scene. As of 12:00 pm on Monday, C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is leading in 106 out of 234 seats, while the AIADMK+ alliance is ahead in 64 seats. The DMK-led alliance, which is currently in power, is trailing in third place with leads in just 43 seats, according to data from the Election Commission of India.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin are also trailing in their respective constituencies in the early rounds of counting.
The mood at the DMK camp has clearly turned gloomy as the trends came in. At the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam in Chennai, preparations that were made for the celebrations are now being taken down.
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections | Tents are being removed from Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai, as the early trends show DMK at a distant third position.
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2026
TVK is leading on 45, AIADMK on 41 and DMK on 19 seats, as per early trends. pic.twitter.com/7xPojVMKcQ
LED screens that were set up to track the results have been switched off, and temporary tents outside the office are being dismantled.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: At Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai, tents are being dismantled as early trends show the party trailing in a distant third position pic.twitter.com/rxF7txntWN
— IANS (@ians_india) May 4, 2026
Party workers, who had gathered in large numbers in the morning, are now sitting silently, watching the numbers change on their phones instead.
Tents and pandals were removed from the DMK headquarters as the party slipped to third place in early counting trends. As of 10:30, TVK leads with 101 seats in the state, with AIADMK in the second position with 80 seats.#DMK #TamilNadu #TVK #MKStalin #Vijay pic.twitter.com/kB6qA4kMY8
— Outlook India (@Outlookindia) May 4, 2026
Several visuals circulating on social media also show emotional scenes among DMK supporters. In one such video shared by NDTV, party workers can be seen breaking down when the reporter asked questions, as the trends continue to show the party falling behind. The early excitement has been replaced by disappointment, with many struggling to process the sudden turn of events.
DMK supporters break down as DMK trails in Tamil Nadu as per trends @jsamdaniel #ResultsWithNDTV pic.twitter.com/6NhJhOppM4
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 4, 2026
The Assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 23, with a high voter turnout of 85.1% and around 4.8 crore votes cast. While the final results are still awaited, the current trends have already created a tense atmosphere, especially within the DMK, which now finds itself pushed to a distant third position in a closely watched election.
