Can Stalin do what Karunanidhi never managed? The big question in Tamil Nadu’s election

Mar 16, 2026 | 17:01 IST

Karunanidhi fell short, but his son Stalin now wants to rewrite Tamil Nadu’s electoral history. But it's not just AIADMK's Palaniswami he has to contend with, there is also the Vijay factor

In the absence of any last-minute surprises, the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu will be a three-cornered contest featuring the DMK-led front, an NDA anchored by AIADMK, and actor Vijay’s TVK. The Tamil nationalist NTK, headed by Seeman, forms a fourth group that can play spoilsport for any of the other three.

Two questions dominate the pre-poll scenario: First, can Stalin win a second consecutive term – something his father M Karunananidhi couldn’t, and M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa could – and, second, how many votes and seats will Vijay’s party win?

TOI

TOI

Can Stalin do what Karunanidhi never managed? The big question in Tamil Nadu’s election

Karunanidhi fell short, but his son Stalin now wants to rewrite Tamil Nadu’s electoral history. But it's not just AIADMK's Palaniswami he has to contend with, there is also the Vijay factor

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TOI

Can Stalin do what Karunanidhi never managed? The big question in Tamil Nadu’s election

Karunanidhi fell short, but his son Stalin now wants to rewrite Tamil Nadu’s electoral history. But it's not just AIADMK's Palaniswami he has to contend with, there is also the Vijay factor

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