Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election 2026

What this countdown tracks

Counting day for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election 2026, scheduled for Monday 4 May 2026, after a single phase of polling on Thursday 23 April 2026. The election fills all 234 seats of the Vidhan Sabha and decides whether the DMK under Chief Minister M. K. Stalin secures a second term, the AIADMK returns to office under Edappadi K. Palaniswami, or actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) breaks the Dravidian duopoly in its first state contest.

About this election

Tamil Nadu has held assembly elections every five years since 1952, with continuous Dravidian-party governments since 1967. The 16th Assembly was elected on 6 April 2021, when the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance won 159 of 234 seats and ended a decade of AIADMK rule. M. K. Stalin succeeded his father M. Karunanidhi as Chief Minister on 7 May 2021 — the first DMK government without Karunanidhi at its helm. The 2026 election is therefore the first full referendum on the Stalin administration's record, including the Dravidian Model agenda of welfare expansion, Tamil-medium education and federal-rights advocacy against the Union government.

The AIADMK enters 2026 fragmented after the death of J. Jayalalithaa in December 2016 and the dismissal of V. K. Sasikala's faction. EPS-led AIADMK reunified the cadre after the 2024 Lok Sabha rout but has not contested a state ballot under his sole leadership. The other consequential 2026 entrant is Vijay's TVK, formally launched on 2 February 2024, which is contesting its first general election after a series of high-profile rallies in Coimbatore, Madurai and Villupuram. The BJP is expected to ally with AIADMK or contest standalone after the bitter 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, while the Congress, VCK, CPI and CPI(M) are negotiating with the DMK on seat-sharing.

What's on the ballot

All 234 single-member constituencies vote on EVMs with VVPAT, supervised by the Election Commission of India. The chief minister's office, control of the Madras High Court appointments-related conventions, and Tamil Nadu's stance on NEET, Hindi imposition, three-language formula, delimitation and GST devolution all hinge on the result. Ballot issues to watch include unemployment among graduates, the Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka, fishermen detentions by Sri Lankan authorities, and the state's posture on Centre–state finance commissions ahead of the 16th Finance Commission.

Past results

• 2021: DMK alliance 159 (DMK 133), AIADMK alliance 75 (AIADMK 66). Stalin sworn in 7 May 2021.
• 2016: AIADMK 134, DMK 89, with Jayalalithaa returning as CM before her hospitalisation.
• 2011: AIADMK alliance 203, DMK alliance 31 — Jayalalithaa's anti-incumbency wave.
• 2006: DMK alliance 163 (DMK 96), AIADMK alliance 70.
• 2001: AIADMK alliance 196, DMK alliance 31.

How to follow

The Election Commission of India publishes constituency-level trends and final tallies on results.eci.gov.in starting 08:00 IST on 4 May 2026. Sun TV, Thanthi TV, Polimer, Puthiya Thalaimurai, Times Now Tamil, and News18 Tamil run the dominant Tamil-language coverage; The Hindu, Times of India and Indian Express lead English coverage. Counting typically concludes by mid-afternoon for most seats, with the final mandate clear by 14:00 IST. The chief electoral officer of Tamil Nadu, headquartered at Chepauk in Chennai, certifies the result.

Related countdowns

This counting day shares 4 May 2026 with the Kerala Assembly election count and the West Bengal phase-2 counting — together a national result-day for three large states. The all-India calendar continues into UP Assembly election 2027 and the Karnataka Assembly election 2028.

FAQ

When does Tamil Nadu vote in 2026? Polling 23 April 2026; counting 4 May 2026. Where does the election happen? All 234 assembly constituencies across the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu. Why does the Tamil Nadu 2026 election matter? It is the first full mandate test of the M. K. Stalin DMK government and the debut state contest for actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. How many seats are needed for a majority? 118 of 234.