DMK Secures 24.2% Vote Share, Stalin Loses Kolathur in Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

The DMK secured 24.2% of the vote, amounting to over 1.18 crore votes, in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, according to provisional Election Commission of India figures released Monday night. The party won or led in 60 constituencies, positioning it as the largest opposition party despite a significant reversal from previous gains.
Allies of the DMK, including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi, CPI(M), and CPI, performed poorly, failing to secure substantial seats. The results indicate a fractured mandate for the opposition alliance, with seat conversion lagging behind vote share.
DMK president and outgoing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lost the Kolathur seat to V.S. Babu of the TVK, a former district secretary in North Chennai. Stalin, who had won Kolathur in each of the previous three elections since its creation, conceded defeat as official results confirmed Babu's lead.