Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) spokesperson TKS Elangovan has stated that the party has initiated an internal review to understand the factors that led to outgoing Chief Minister MK Stalin losing the Kolathur Assembly constituency seat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

Speaking to media, Elangovan said, “We discussed the reason behind the defeat of CM Stalin from the Kolathur seat.”

Stalin seen leaving party headquarters after results

Earlier in the day, Stalin was spotted exiting the DMK headquarters, ‘Arivalayam’, in Chennai following the announcement of the election results.

According to the final figures, DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin secured 74,202 votes but was defeated by VS Babu of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), who polled 82,997 votes. The margin of victory stood at 8,795 votes.

Stalin concedes defeat, accepts public mandate

Earlier, Stalin publicly acknowledged the outcome in a message posted on X, where he addressed the people of Tamil Nadu. Accepting the verdict with humility, he extended his congratulations to the winning candidates.

“We bow to and accept the verdict of the people. Congratulations to the victors!” he said.

Reflecting on his government’s tenure, Stalin added, “In the past five years, we have created numerous projects and provided good governance to the people of Tamil Nadu. We have elevated Tamil Nadu in every way. In the electoral arena, we sought votes only by speaking of our achievements.”

TVK’s strong debut reshapes political landscape

Meanwhile, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has made a striking entry into state politics, securing 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly. However, the party remains short of the majority mark and will require support from other parties to form the government.

The party is led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, whose success challenges the long-standing perception that film personalities struggle to achieve political success. His rise places him alongside figures such as NT Rama Rao, MG Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa, who successfully transitioned from cinema to politics.

His electoral performance suggests that his popularity in films has translated into a strong emotional connect with voters, clearly reflected in the mandate.

The outcome could signal a historic political shift in Tamil Nadu. The state may see its first government outside the dominance of the DMK and AIADMK since June 1977.

Agency inputs