Tamil Nadu Election 2026 LIVE updates: Assembly election is underway for all 234 seats in Tamil Nadu today, 23 April.
Tamil Nadu has over 5.73 crore voters, featuring 2,93,04,905 female voters, 2,80,30,658 male voters, and 7,728 third-gender voters.
The electoral arena is currently dominated by the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, where Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin are campaigning on a platform of “Dravidian Model” governance and welfare delivery, supported by long-time allies like the Congress and VCK.
Formidable opposition comes from the AIADMK, led by Edappadi K Palaniswami, which is showing up more united after allying with the BJP.
The traditional rivalry can be shaken up with the wild-card entry of actor-turned-politician Vijay and his newly launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has decided to contest in every seat.
A multi-layered security arrangement has been put in place, involving local police, central armed forces, and flying squads.
Chief Minister MK Stalin led a high-decibel campaign, framing the polls as “Delhi vs Tamil Nadu” to challenge the AIADMK-BJP alliance. Pitching “Dravidian Model 2.0,” he seeks a renewed mandate to advance the state’s developmental agenda further.
Key Fights
CM Stalin, who is contesting on a DMK ticket from Kolthur, faces a serious multi-cornered challenge from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) VS Babu and AIADMK’s P Santhana Krishnan.
Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni is also back in focus, with Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin seeking a fresh mandate from a seat that has long been seen as a DMK stronghold.
The Edappadi assembly constituency in Salem district is also a critical battleground because it is the political home of AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who is now seeking a sixth term.
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