Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE: All eyes on BJP's West Bengal CM pick, suspense in Tamil Nadu

Superstar Mohanlal has congratulated TVK chief Vijay on his party’s historic performance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

TVK secured 108 seats in the 234 member House, falling just 10 short of a majority in its debut outing. In a post on X, Mohanlal praised Vijay, calling the people’s trust a great honour and expressing confidence that he would carry it forward with pride and purpose.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who lost the assembly elections to TVK’s VS Babu, accepted the verdict and congratulated the winners.

In a detailed post on social media, Stalin said that over the past 5 years, his government had implemented several projects and ensured effective governance across the state. He added that Tamil Nadu had progressed on multiple fronts and that his party had sought votes based on its record of achievements.

He said the campaign focused on continuing welfare schemes introduced for the people, and thanked voters who supported the secular progressive alliance led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Stalin also said he governed not only for those who voted for him but also for those who did not, adding that he remained committed to serving all citizens and had acted in line with his conscience.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated actor-turned-politician Vijay on his party’s strong performance in Tamil Nadu.

“I spoke to Thiru Vijay and congratulated him on TVK’s spectacular result. This mandate reflects the rising voice of youth which cannot, and will not, be ignored. My heartfelt thanks to Congress workers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for their hard work and support. I reiterate that the Congress party will continue to protect and serve the people of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

Reacting to the BJP’s sweeping victory in the state, party MLA elect Dilip Ghosh said, “The result is exactly what we had anticipated. People have given their strong support to the BJP. Governance provides sufficient time to deliver, and we will make the most of this opportunity.”

TVK leader Vijay has written to Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar, seeking an invitation to form the government. In his email to Raj Bhavan, Vijay said the party would prove its majority within two weeks.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which has won 108 Assembly seats, has formally staked its claim to power, with Vijay urging the Governor to invite him to take the oath as chief minister.

For a state long shaped by towering leaders such as K Kamaraj, M Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, the rise of TVK is being viewed as a fresh disruption to a familiar two party political landscape.

Now, with TVK emerging as a potential single largest force without a clear majority, attention turns to what lies ahead for Vijay and his political experiment.

TVK founder Vijay had envisioned his political entry as a solo venture, with his father and former filmmaker S A Chandrasekhar earlier telling ANI that the actor turned politician was expected to chart an independent path.

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, who defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her home constituency of Bhabanipur on Monday, has emerged as the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post after the Bharatiya Janata Party swept the assembly elections in the state, party functionaries said.

The BJP won the West Bengal assembly polls for the first time, securing 206 of the state’s 293 seats where counting was held. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress won or was leading in 81 seats.

Reacting to the election results in four states and one Union Territory, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, "I think the party will have to do some very serious introspection, no doubt about it. We’ve said this before, and today we have a very good example of what worked right. If we can get it right in Kerala, what can we do to get it right elsewhere? That is a lesson the Congress party should learn."

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will address a press conference at 4 pm today following the party’s defeat in West Bengal.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will address a press conference at 4 pm today following the party’s defeat in West Bengal.

In a strongly worded post-election statement, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who won the Nandigram seat by a margin of nearly 10,000 votes, credited his victory to the support of the Hindu community in the region.

Speaking to ANI, Adhikari said his focus would now be on serving the Hindu population of Nandigram. He also launched a sharp attack on the ruling TMC, calling it a “corrupt, family oriented party with no ideology,” and predicted a swift political decline for the party. Read more