What can Vijay do if his TVK party falls short of 118 majority mark in Tamil Nadu?

Concerns have been raised that Tamil Nadu may end up with a hung assembly if no party manages to secure enough numbers.

Updated on: May 4, 2026, 17:44:41 IST

Edited by Aryan Mudgal

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Surprise package Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party have emerged as a major game changer in the Tamil Nadu elections 2026, as well as in the state’s politics, dealing a major dent to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) parties.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay during a campaign ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, in Tiruchirappalli. (PTI)

At 5:18 pm, Election Commission of India (ECI) trends indicate that TVK has secured 13 seats and is ahead in 95 more. On the other hand, DMK has won 7 seats and is leading in 53, while AIADMK has already won 45 seats. Follow Tamil Nadu election result live here.

The Tamil Nadu assembly has a total of 234 seats. To form a government, a party has to cross the majority mark of 118 seats.

ALSO READ | How Thalapathy Vijay, set to be Tamil Nadu chief minister, turned tide around after Karur stampede

What happens if TVK fails to cross the majority?

Concerns have been raised that Tamil Nadu may end up with a hung assembly if no party manages to secure enough numbers.

Debutant Vijay’s TVK, although leading well ahead of the traditional DMK and AIADMK parties, is still short of the figure needed to form the government.

With 13 confirmed wins and leads in 95 seats, TVK is currently placed at over 108 seats. Following the same method for other parties, DMK stands at around 60 seats, AIADMK at 45, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) at 5, Congress at 5, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) at 2 and Communist Party of India (CPI) at 2.

As per the latest trends, TVK still needs at least 10 more seats to cross the majority line.

Since TVK chose to contest without any alliance, it may now have to seek backing from smaller parties linked to either the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance or the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance.

Congress could also play a crucial role. HT reported earlier that at least three senior members in the party had seriously explored the option of breaking away from DMK and supporting Vijay ahead of the elections.

The PMK, led by Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, is another party that could become important in government formation. Given the lack of major differences in their positions, a shift from the NDA to support TVK may not be difficult for PMK.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aryan Mudgal
Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.Read More

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