Aadhav Arjuna on TVK lead: 'They said we would not win even 10 seats'

Actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has sent shockwaves through the political establishment by surging ahead in the 2026 Assembly elections, leading in 109 seats.

As per latest trends, the ruling DMK alliance has slipped to the second spot, trailing with leads in 71 seats, while the AIADMK-led front is currently in third place with leads in 54 seats.

Also read: Tamil Nadu verdict 2026: Will TVK chief Vijay form government with Congress?

In an exclusive conversation with The Federal, Aadhav Arjuna, general secretary (Election Management) of TVK, reacted to the party’s spectacular debut performance.

‘Victory dedicated to Karur tragedy victims’

To begin with, Arjuna dedicated the massive public support to the 41 lives lost in the Karur stampede tragedy. “This victory belongs to the 41 souls from our family who were martyred in Karur. They said we wouldn’t win even ten seats. But the people of Tamil Nadu, especially women and youth, have given us this extraordinary mandate,” he said.

Also read: TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna declares Rs 197.52 cr assets ahead of poll debut

Arjuna expressed both joy and disbelief at the scale of the support despite unprecedented hurdles. “The government did not even give us permission to campaign. They misused the entire state machinery to stop us from reaching the people. Yet, the people have given us this kind of victory. This is a moment of immense happiness and pride,” he added.

Further, highlighting voter resilience in the Chief Minister MK Stalin's home turf, Kolathur, Arjuna pointed out, “In Kolathur, they distributed Rs 4,000 per voter. Even after that, the people voted for us. The person who was supposed to represent them only developed his own family through corruption and did nothing for the constituency,” he alleged.

Sweeping electoral debut

TVK, founded by actor-politician Vijay, made its electoral debut in the 2026 TN assembly elections and has emerged as the single largest party, according to the current trends.

The party’s strong performance, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas, signals a major disruption in Tamil Nadu’s traditional Dravidian political duopoly.

With counting still underway, these leads indicate a possible hung assembly or a clear edge for TVK, setting the stage for dramatic post-poll developments in the state.