Tamil Nadu Assembly election results 2026 LIVE: TVK leads in 98 seats, AIADMK+ in 67 and DMK+ in 42 constituencies as of 10.45 a.m.

All eyes on Vijay’s TVK as DMK eyes second consecutive term

• May 04, 2026 11:08

  Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran trails behind TVK candidate

  After the third round of counting in Aruppukottai Assembly constituency, State Minister and sitting MLA K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran (9,719) of the DMK trails by 1,089 votes behind TVK candidate Karthik Kumar (10,808).

  — S. Sundar

• May 04, 2026 11:07

  DMK candidates lead in Tiruvarur, Thiruthuraipoondi, Mudukulathur, Ramanathapuram

  Sitting MLA K. Poondi Kalaivanan of the DMK, leads by a margin of 5812 votes over his nearest TVK rival V. Veeramani in Tiruvarur at the end of round 8. K. Marimuthu, CPI, leads by 3596 votes over his nearest TVK rival S. Pandiyan in Thiruthuraipoondi at the end of round 5. 

  After round 4, Mudukulathur sitting DMK MLA R.S. Rajakannapan leads with 10077 votes. Behind him falls TVK candidate Malarvizhi with 9164, S. Pandi of ADMK with 7331 votes; NTK’s Dr. Chandra Praba with 4481 votes. 

  At the end of round 6 in Ramanathapuram district, sitting DMK MLA Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam leads with a total of 22,265 votes. TVK (Sahul Hameed) in second with 12,878 votes; BJP GBS Nagendran in third with 8,521 votes — S. Ganesan, C. Palanivel Rajan

• May 04, 2026 11:06

  TVK leads in Salem South

  At the end of round 5, the TVK is leading in Salem South by 9,952 votes. 

  TVK: 24,279

  DMK: 14,327

  AIADMK: 13,758

  — M. Sabari

• May 04, 2026 11:04

  TVK leads in Anna Nagar

  At the end of round 3, TVK’s Ramkumar leads in the Anna Nagar constituency with 2,796 votes.

• May 04, 2026 11:01

  PTR trails in Madurai Central

  After round 4, in Madurai Central Assembly constituency, DMK leader and Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan is trailing with 1,821 votes. Madhar Badhurudeen of the TVK is leading with 3,501 votes, followed by Sundar C. (AIADMK-BJP alliance) with 2,186 votes.

  — B. Tilak Chandar

• May 04, 2026 10:52

  TVK cadres in Erode, Coimbatore rejoice

• May 04, 2026 10:52

  VCK leads in Kattumannarkoil

  At the end of round 2 in Kattumannarkoil (SC) constituency:

  VCK – 11,472

  PMK – 9,889

  TVK – 5,475

• May 04, 2026 10:51

  Status of lead by T.N. parties as of 10.50 a.m.

  Status of lead by T.N. parties as of 10.50 a.m.

  The status of parties leading, according to the Election Commission of India, as of 10.50 a.m.:

  • TVK – 97 seats

  • AIADMK – 66 seats

  • DMK – 37 seats

  • Congress – 3 seats

  • PMK – 7 seats

  • CPI – 2 seats

  • VCK – 2 seats
• May 04, 2026 10:51

  NTK’s Seeman trailing in Karaikudi

  Karaikudi sitting MLA S. Mangudi (5,613) of the Congress behind TVK’s T.K. Prabhu (11,073) by 5,460 votes. NTK’s Seeman is in the third place with 2,848 votes.

• May 04, 2026 10:48

  TVK candidate leads in Virugambakkam

  At the end of round 3 in Virugambakkam constituency, the TVK is leading with 9,851 votes.

• May 04, 2026 10:42

  DMK’s Senthilbalaji leads in Coimbatore South

• May 04, 2026 10:41

  M.K. Stalin trails in Kolathur while TVK candidate leads

  In Kolathur constituency, after second round:DMK’s Stalin – 7159TVK’s V.S. Babu – 8393

  AIADMK’s P. Santhana Krishnan – 2226

  NTK’s Soundara Pandian Luder Seth – 650

  Total counted – 18,758

  — R. Aishwaryaa

• May 04, 2026 10:29

  DMK’s Vaithilingam leads in Orathanadu after second round

  R. Vaithilingam of DMK leads by a margin of 697 votes over his nearest TVK rival Aravind in Orathanadu at the end of second round. 

  — S. Ganesan

• May 04, 2026 10:28

  Duraimurugan, Thangam Thennarasu trail

  In Katpadi, senior DMK Minister Duraimurugan is trailing. He has secured 5,301 votes, while V. Ramu (AIADMK) is leading by 7,594 votes and Dr. M Sudhakar (TVK) has secured 4,725 votes.

  WhatsApp Image 2026-05-04 at 10.21.32.jpeg

  Sitting MLA and State Minister Thangam Thennarasu is also trailing at the end of the first round. Here are the trends:

  Tiruchuli Assembly constituency:

  S. Samayan TVK – 3,726 leads

  Thangam Thennarasu (DMK) – 3,369 

  M.S.R. Rajavaraman (AIADMK) – 948

  Avarangadu Karthik Raja (NTK) – 6624

  T. Murugesapandian (AIPTMMK) – 36

  — D. Madhavan, S. Sundar

• May 04, 2026 10:26

  In Thoothukudi, Geetha Jeevan trails; TVK’s actor Srinath leads after round 2

• May 04, 2026 10:17

  Celebrations begin in TVK camp

  TVK cadres in Kancheepuram celebrating the lead status of their party candidates acorss Tamil Nadu

• May 04, 2026 10:15

  Premallatha Vijayakant trails by 19 votes after round 2

  At the end of Round 2 in Vriddhachalam constituency in Cuddalore district, TVK candidate S. Vijay leading DMDK candidate Premallatha Vijayakant by a razor thin margin of 19 votes.

  TVK – 6121

  DMDK – 6102

  — S. Prasad

• May 04, 2026 10:12

  Vijay increases lead in Tiruchi East

  TVK president C. Joseph Vijay increases his lead in Round 2 in Tiruchi East. He is leading by a margin of 3,299 votes over his DMK rival Inigo Irudhayaraj.

  — R. Rajaram

• May 04, 2026 10:09

  TVK leads in Velachery

  The TVK’s candidate R. Kumar leads in Velachery segment. 

• May 04, 2026 10:06

  TVK candidates lead in Padmanabhapuram and Kangayam

  After round 1, in Padmanabhapuram constituency, S. Krishnakumar of the TVK is leading with 2,138 votes, R. Chellasamy of the CPI(M) has secured 1,950 votes, and P. Ramesh of the BJP has got 1,502 votes.

  At the end of the third round in Kangayam, the TVK is yet again leading, with its candidate Mani Gounder securing 10,237 votes. N.S.N. Nataraj of the AIADMK has secured 8,255 votes and Minister M.P. Saminathan of the DMK, 7,122 votes.

  — Shankari Nivethitha, R. Krishnamoorthy

• May 04, 2026 10:05

  Status of T.N. parties leading as of 10 a.m.

  Status of lead by T.N. parties as of 10 a.m.

  The status of parties leading, according to the Election Commission of India, as of 10 a.m.:

  • TVK – 50 seats

  • AIADMK – 47 seats 

  • DMK – 23 seats

  • Congress – 3 seats

  • PMK – 2 seats

  • DMDK – 1 seat

  • BJP – 1 seat
• May 04, 2026 10:01

  L. Murugan trails behind TVK candidate in Avanashi

  BJP leaders and Union Minister of State L. Murugan is trailing behind the TVK candidate, S. Kamali, in the Avanashi constituency after the first round of counting.

  — R. Krishnamoorthy

  M. Nacchinarkkiniyan

• May 04, 2026 09:58

  TVK candidates lead in Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur constituencies

  Tiruchendur constituency:

  Anitha Radhakrishnan (DMK) – 3,219

  J. Murugan (TVK) – 2,749

  K.R.M. Radhakrishnan (BJP) – 1,611

  Thoothukudi constituency:

  P. Geetha Jeevan of DMK – 2,591

  S.T. Chellapandian of AIADMK – 1,220

  A. Srinath of TVK – 4,037

  — B. Shankari Nivethitha

• May 04, 2026 09:57

  EPS leads in Edappadi

  At the end of the first round in the Edappadi Assembly constituency, AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is leading by 3,830 votes.

  AIADMK: 5,520

  TVK-supported independent candidate: 1,690

  DMK: 1,395

  — M. Sabari

• May 04, 2026 09:54

  TVK candidate leads in Saidapet, overtaking Ma. Subramanian

  The TVK’s candidate M. Arul Prakasam leads with 4,334 votes in the Saidapet constituency, where DMK leader and Health Minister Ma. Subramanian is trailing. 

• May 04, 2026 09:53

  DMK leads in Bargur

  After the end of round 1 in Bargur constituency in Krishnagiri district:

  DMK’S sitting MLA D. Mathiazhagan leads by 200 votes

  TVK comes a close second, pushing AIADMK to third — P.V. Srividya

  Screenshot 2026-05-04 095016.png

• May 04, 2026 09:51

  Tourism Minister R. Rajendran trails in Salem North

  At the end of the first round in Salem North, Tourism Minister R. Rajendran is trailing by 431 votes. The TVK candidate is leading. The trends are as follows:

  TVK: 4,034

  DMK: 3,603

  AIADMK: 2,178

  — M. Sabari

• May 04, 2026 09:49

  DMK veteran Duraimurugan trails

  In Katpadi constituency of Vellore district, 87-year-old DMK general secretary and Minister Duraimurugan lags behind by securing 2,657 votes. V. Ramu (AIADMK) gets 3,831 votes and Dr. M Sudhakar (TVK) secures 2,453 votes — D. Madhavan

• May 04, 2026 09:48

  K.N. Nehru trails in Tiruchi West

  DMK’s K.N. Nehru trails by 1,032 votes at the end of the second round of counting in Tiruchi West.

  At the end of the first round of counting in Nagapattinam, the trends are as follows:

  DMK – 3,400

  AIADMK – 3,047

  NTK – 351 

  TVK – 2,513

  — S. Ganesan, M. Nacchinarkkiniyan

• May 04, 2026 09:45

  TVK leads in Mylapore

  At the end of round 1 of counting, the TVK’s P. Venkataramanan is leading in the Mylapore constituency.

• May 04, 2026 09:44

  AIADMK’s Leemarose leads in Lagudi

  AIADMK’s Leemarose Martin is leading by 1,015 votes over her DMK rival T. Parivallal in Lalgudi constituency. TVK candidate and former AIADMK Ku. Pa. Krishnan is trailing — Ancy Donal Madonna

• May 04, 2026 09:42

  Sengottaiyan leads in Gobichettipalayam

  Gobichettipalayam Assembly constituency, end of Round 1:

  K.A. Sengottaiyan (TVK) – 4,320 votes

  N. Nallasivam (DMK) – 2,886 votes

  Lead by 1,434 votes

  — S.P. Saravanan

• May 04, 2026 09:38

  Vijay leads in Tiruchi East

  TVK president C. Joseph Vijay leads in Tiruchi East by 1,649 votes at the end of the first round of counting.

  Meanwhile, the PMK’s Sowmiya Anbumani leads with 4,158 votes in Dharmapuri; followed by the TVK candidate with 2,937 votes. The DMK’s ally DMDK candidate secures 2,048 votes by end of round 1.

  — S. Ganesan, P.V. Srividya

• May 04, 2026 09:36

  Status of lead by T.N. parties as of 9.30 a.m.

  The status of parties leading, according to the Election Commission of India, as of 9.30 a.m.:

  • AIADMK – 11 seats

  • TVK – 9 seats

  • DMK – 5 seats

  • Congress – 2 seats

  • PMK – 1 seat

  • CPI – 1 seat

  • BJP – 1 seat
• May 04, 2026 09:31

  AIADMK’s K.P. Munusamy leads in Vepanahalli

  The AIADMK’s sitting MLA K.P. Munusamy is leading by 783 votes in the Vepanahalli Assembly constituency by the end of round 2 in Krishnagiri.

  In the Kinathukadavu segment, Vignesh of the TVK is leading with 7,361 votes, Damodaran of the AIADMK has secured 5,192 votes, and Sabari Karthikeyan of the DMK has got 5,636 votes.

  In the Kulithalai constituency, the TVK candidate takes early lead.

  — P.V. Srividya, M. Soundarya Preetha, C. Jaisankar

• May 04, 2026 09:30

  AIADMK’s M.C. Sampath leads in Cuddalore

  At the end of first round, AIADMK candidate M.C. Sampath leads in Cuddalore constituency.

  AIADMK – M.C. Sampath: 3980

  TVK – B. Rajkumar: 3775

  Congress – A.S. Chandrasekaran: 332

  NTK – S. Sarasu: 305

  — S. Prasad

• May 04, 2026 09:25

  Waiting and watching in Katpadi

  With the counting of votes under way in the Katpadi constituency, Vellore, workers of various parties eagerly look on.

• May 04, 2026 09:24

  TVK general secretary ‘Bussy’ Anand leads in T. Nagar constituency

  At the end of round one in T. Nagar constituency in Chennai:

  N. Anand of TVK: 3,558

  Sathyanarayan of AIADMK: 1,959

  Raja Anbazhagan of DMK: 1,893

  Anusha of NTK: 256

  — Sunitha Sekar

• May 04, 2026 09:24

  How to see election results of Assembly polls 2026? A step-by-step guide

  The counting of votes for the results of Assembly elections in four States and one UT, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry, begins at 8.00 a.m. today. 

  Here’s how you can keep track of the winners being declared:

  Election results 2026: How to check data and check trends?

  Learn how to check the 2026 Assembly election results in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, and Pondicherry with this step-by-step guide for real-time updates.

• May 04, 2026 09:23

  Explained: The long gap between polling and counting in T.N.

  Tamil Nadu’s Assembly elections have often seen long gaps between polling and the counting of votes. This video looks at how election schedules in the State have evolved since 1967, the reasons behind delays, and the political moments that shaped modern Tamil Nadu.

• May 04, 2026 09:22

  Senthilbalaji leads in Coimbatore South

  At the end of round 1 in Coimbatore South, V. Senthilbalaji (DMK) has secured 3,481 votes, Senthil Kumar (TVK), 3,205 votes, and Amman Arjunan (AIADMK) 936 votes. 

  In the Thally constituency, the BJP’s C. Nagesh Kumar is leading by 59 votes. Sitting MLA T. Ramachandran is trailing.

  In Tirupattur Assembly constituency, TVK candidate N. Thirupathi is leading with 3,800 votes, followed by AMMK candidate A. Gnanasekar (2,100 votes) and DMK (sitting MLA A. Nallathambi) with 2,000 votes.

  — M. Soundarya Preetha, P.V. Srividya, D. Madhavan

• May 04, 2026 09:19

  Gandharvakottai (SC) constituency – TVK candidate Subramanian leads

  TVK candidate N. Subramanian, who was the former AIADMK Minister for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, leads by a margin of 174 votes against his rival and sitting MLA M. Chinnadurai of CPM in first round in Gandharvakottai (SC) constituency, in the first round of counting of votes.

  TVK – 3,249

  CPM – 3,075

  BJP – 2,485

  — Ancy Donal Madonna

• May 04, 2026 09:17

  In first round, TVK candidate leads in Salem West constituency

  In Salem West Assembly constituency, TVK candidate S. Lakshmanan is leading in first round.

  TVK: 5,394

  DMDK: 2,109

  AIADMK: 1,591

  NTK: 307

  — M. Sabari

• May 04, 2026 09:14

  AIADMK leads in Karur constituency

  With the counting of postal ballots under way, AIADMK candidate M.R. Vijayabhaskar is leading in the Karur constituency, overtaking the DMK’s M. Thiyagarajan by a margin of over 1,300 votes.

  At the end of the first round of counting in the Tirunelveli segment, the DMK has got 2,396 votes, AIADMK 1,780 votes, and TVK 2,385 votes.

  In Virudhunagar constituency, DMDK candidate V. Vijayaprabhakar is leading by a slender margin of 482 votes against his nearest rival V.G. Ganesan of the AIADMK in the first round.

  — C. Jaisankar, P. Sudhakar, S. Sundar

• May 04, 2026 09:13

  EVMs in strong room checked

  WhatsApp Image 2026-05-04 at 8.49.38 AM.jpeg

• May 04, 2026 09:06

  DMK candidate for Palacode seated with mediapersons

  The candidates’ waiting room was unallocated, leaving the DMK candidate and ex-MP Dr. S. Senthilkumar facing off AIADMK’s K.P. Anbalagan in Palacode constituency seen seated amid media persons in the media centre at the counting hall in the Government college of engineering in Chettikarai in Dharmapuri — P.V. Srividya

  WhatsApp Image 2026-05-04 at 8.52.24 AM.jpeg

• May 04, 2026 09:05

  Counting of Perambur votes delayed

  The counting of votes in the Perambur constituency was delayed by about 30 minutes reportedly due to overcrowding at the counting centre by TVK cadres. TVK president C. Joseph Vijay is contesting from the constituency.

• May 04, 2026 08:59

  TVK cadre with Vijay’s image on shirt in Nagapattinam

  The Model Code of Conduct prohibits display of political symbols and images inside counting centres

• May 04, 2026 08:58

  Prominent candidates in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, and Tiruvannamalai districts

  The counting of votes polled in the 21 Assembly constituencies in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, and Tiruvannamalai districts began at 8 a.m. in five centres in these districts.

  Strong rooms were opened in the presence of candidates or their authorised representatives.

  Postal ballots are being counted first, followed by the votes recorded in the electronic voting machines (EVMs). The counting of EVM votes will begin only after the completion of the postal ballot rounds.

  Prominent candidates in the region include senior Ministers Duraimurugan (Katpadi), E.V. Velu (Tiruvannamalai), R. Gandhi (Ranipet), Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, K. Pitchandi (Kilpennathur), and former AIADMK Ministers K.C. Veeramani (Jolarpet) and S.S. ‘Agri’ Krishnamoorthy (Kalasapakkam).

  Of the total 21 Assembly seats in these four districts, the DMK is contesting in 17 constituencies. Some of them are: Jolarpet, Ambur, Arcot, Cheyyar, Vandavasi, Arani, Chengam, Gudiyatham, Vellore, and Anaicut. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) alliance partners are also in the fray: VCK (Arakkonam), Congress (Sholinghur), IUML (Vaniyambadi), and DMDK (Polur).

  The AIADMK and its alliance partners are contesting in a majority of constituencies in the region: BJP (Tiruvannamalai), PMK (Sholihgur, Polur), AMMK (Tirupattur), and TMC(M) (Ranipet).

  As many as 16 tables have been arranged in each constituency for every round of counting.

  Four-tier security arrangements, with more than 4,000 police personnel, including Central forces, have been deployed in and around the counting centres.

  — D. Madhavan

• May 04, 2026 08:55

  Gobichettipalayam turns battleground as Sengottaiyan’s shift sparks three-cornered contest

  All eyes are on the Gobichettipalayam Assembly constituency in Erode district, where K.A. Sengottaiyan, chief coordinator of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), is contesting.He has represented Gobichettipalayam eight times, turning it into an AIADMK stronghold, and has held several ministerial portfolios during the party’s tenure in power.After being expelled from the AIADMK in November 2025, he resigned from his Assembly seat and joined the TVK, marking a shift in the constituency’s political landscape. The constituency is witnessing a three-cornered contest among the TVK, AIADMK, and DMK — S.P. Saravanan

• May 04, 2026 08:48

  No space for counting agents who arrived late in Thanjavur

  At all three counting halls – Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru and Orathanadu Assembly segments – in Thanjavur district, some of the counting agents who arrived late were not able to find a space, even to stand, before the table for which they were assigned by the candidates.

  Thus, some of them sat on the lawns near the counting halls — V. Venkatasubramanian

  WhatsApp Image 2026-05-04 at 8.30.02 AM (1).jpeg

• May 04, 2026 08:42

  Counting of postal votes under way

  Officials have begun counting the postal votes in Chennai and Thoothukudi. Scenes on the ground:

• May 04, 2026 08:35

  Seeman vs. Mangudi in Karaikudi constituency

  All eyes are on a key constituency in Sivaganga district — Karaikudi — where Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman is contesting against the incumbent Congress MLA S. Mangudi.

  Though it was said to have been a fight between the sitting MLA and the NTK leader, with the entry of a popular face in the constituency, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam candidate T.K. Prabhu, the contest may witness a shift. 

  Further, the campaigning of TVK leader C. Joseph Vijay at Karaikudi is believed to turn the contest into a close one. 

  — C. Palanivel Rajan

• May 04, 2026 08:32

  EVMs being brought out of strong rooms in Dharmapuri

  Counting of postal ballots for the five Assembly constituencies – Dharmapuri, Palacode, Pennagaram, Harur and Paapireddipatti in Dharmapuri district and for the 6 constituencies of Uthangarai, Barugr, Krishnagiri, Vepanahalli, Hosur and Thally in Krishnagiri district are underway. EVMs are being brought out from the strong room for Dharmapuri constituency — P.V. Srividya

• May 04, 2026 08:28

  Postal vote counting under way in Salem, Sivaganga, Erode districts

  Counting of postal votes begins in Sankari and Edappadi assembly constituencies of Salem district, all the eight Assembly constituencies in Erode district and at the counting centre in Karaikudi for Sivaganga district — M. Sabari, S.P. Saravanan,C. Palanivel Rajan

• May 04, 2026 08:28

  Fate of five sitting MLAs in Virudhunagar district to be decided

  The political fate of five sitting MLAs, three former MLAs, and several other candidates of seven Assembly constituency in Virudhunagar district will be known in the next few hours, with the counting of votes polled on April 23 Assembly election having begun. 

  Among the top contenders are two State Ministers, namely K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran (Aruppukottai) and Thangam Thennarasu (Tiruchuli).

  The sitting MLAs contesting are: Nainar Nagendran (BJP State president, Sattur), S. Thangapandian (Rajapalayam), and G. Ashokan (Sivakasi). 

  Three former MLAs, K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji (Sivakasi), M. Chandra Prabha (Srivilliputtur), and M.S.R. Rajavarman (Tiruchuli), all from the AIADMK, are also eagerly waiting for the results.

  Puthiya Tamilagam youth wing leader, Shyam Krishnasamy (Srivilliputtur), and TMMK leader John Pandian’s wife, J. Priscilla Pandian (Rajapalayam), are other major candidates in Virudhunagar district. 

  The Naam Tamilar Katchi of Seeman and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam of actor C. Joseph Vijay have also fielded their candidates, without any alliance. 

  Candidates from V.K. Sasikala’s All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AIPTMMK) are also in the fray. 

  While the ruling DMK is contesting from four seats in Virudhunagar district, it arch rival AIADMK is fighting from five seats. 

  The DMK’s allies, the Congress (Sivakasi) and CPI (Srivilliputtur), have fielded their candidates in two seats.

  The AIADMK has given its remaining two seats to its ally BJP. TMMK’s J. Priscilla Pandian is contesting on the BJP’s ‘Lotus’ symbol from Rajapalayam. 

  The DMK alliance had won six out of the seven Assembly seats, leaving Srivilliputtur alone to the AIADMK (alliance) in 2021.

  — S. Sundar

• May 04, 2026 08:11

  Commotion over carrying pen in Nagapattinam district

  Kilvelur (SC) constituency’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate M. Karthika was involved in a heated argument with police officials at the Nagapattinam counting centre at the Bharathidasan Government Arts and Science College after she was not allowed to carry a pen inside the premises.

  Police officials initially confiscated pens and pencils from candidates and their agents, stating that such items were not permitted inside the counting centre. When Ms. Karthika arrived, a packet containing pens and pencils in her possession and that of her agents was also seized, leading to a sharp exchange with the police officer.

  She questioned the action, pointing out that the election authorities had permitted candidates and agents to carry writing materials, and asked why they were being confiscated despite this. 

  Following the argument, the Additional Superintendent of Police directed Ms. Karthika and her agents to meet the election officer, who clarified that pens and pencils were allowed. The prolonged exchange at the entrance created a brief commotion at the venue — M. Nacchinarkkiniyan

• May 04, 2026 08:05

  Vote counting begins in Tamil Nadu

  The counting of votes polled across 234 constituencies across the State has begun. Postal votes are being counted first, following which votes polled on EVMs will be counted.

  WhatsApp Image 2026-05-04 at 7.51.56 AM.jpeg

• May 04, 2026 08:02

  How many counting tables are set up in Tamil Nadu today?

  Here are the details on the counting tables set up for each of the 234 Assembly constituencies in 38 districts of Tamil Nadu for the counting of votes.

• May 04, 2026 07:53

  Counting of votes to begin shortly

  WhatsApp Image 2026-05-04 at 7.50.21 AM.jpeg

  Officials ready at the counting table of Katpadi constituency counting centre in Vellore on Monday (May 4, 2026).

  Photo Credit: C. Venkatachalapathy /The Hindu

• May 04, 2026 07:41

  Exit polls: DMK in TN, BJP in Assam, UDF in Kerala?

• May 04, 2026 07:40

  Facilities in place, curbs on gadgets at counting centres in Erode district

  Basic facilities, including drinking water, refreshments, medical aid, sanitation and mobile phone deposit counters, have been arranged at the two counting centres for officials, candidates and agents. 

  At the Government College of Engineering, transport arrangements have been made from the entrance to the counting halls. 

  Separate rooms have been earmarked for media personnel. 

  Officials and agents will not be permitted to carry mobile phones, laptops or any electronic gadgets into the counting halls. 

  Arrangements have been made for the safe custody of such devices.

  -S.P. Saravanan

• May 04, 2026 07:31

  Multi-tier security deployed outside Chennai’s Loyola College

  Heavy three-layer security was deployed early morning on Monday (May 4) to prepare for the vote count of the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

  Dozens of security personnel were deployed at the gate of the college, with barricades in place as officials checked every vehicle coming in.

  Loyola College is one of the counting centres that houses the EVMs for counting nearly 4.8 crore large votes polled. Queen Mary’s College and Anna University are also some of the other counting centres set up for today.

• May 04, 2026 07:27

  What happens on counting day?

  Watch: What happens on counting day? | Explained

  Voting is over. Across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, West Bengal and Assam, the big question now is: who wins? With counting of votes set to begin on May 4, here’s a closer look at how the process is done in India — step by step.

• May 04, 2026 07:07

  Police ramp up security in Tiruchi region for counting of votes

  Security has been ramped up in Tiruchi and elsewhere in the central region in view of counting of votes to be taken up on Monday as police teams are to be deployed at vantage locations with deployment of extra strength at the counting centres. The electronic voting machines have been safely kept inside the strong rooms in each counting centre following completion of polling on April 23.

  The total number of counting centres in the central region is 12 of which three are in Thanjavur district and two in Tiruchi district. In Tiruchi district, the counting centres are at the Jamal Mohamed College in the city, falling under the limits of the Tiruchi City Police and at the OASYS Institute of Technology in Pulivalam which comes under the jurisdiction of the Tiruchi Rural Police.

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  Police ramp up security in Tiruchi region for counting of votes

  Police enhance security in Tiruchi for vote counting, deploying extra personnel and implementing traffic diversions at key locations.

• May 04, 2026 06:42

  Electoral debuts in Tamil Nadu’s past Assembly elections tell a mixed story of breakthroughs, missed chances

  In Tamil Nadu’s political theatre, the arrival of a new political party in the electoral contest has served as both a launchpad for historic realignments as well as a graveyard for grand ambitions. With the high profile debut of actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the 2026 Assembly elections, expectations are high about whether his party could breach the Dravidian duopoly or merely dent its margins.

  A cursory look at the history of electoral debuts of select political parties in Assembly elections held in the past in the State offers both a roadmap and a warning. For this analysis only the general elections to the Assembly was taken into consideration and not the byelection or Lok Sabha polls.

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  Electoral debuts in Tamil Nadu’s past Assembly elections tell a mixed story of breakthroughs, missed chances

  Explore the mixed outcomes of electoral debuts in Tamil Nadu’s Assembly elections, highlighting breakthroughs and missed opportunities.

• May 04, 2026 06:24

  Women make up over 80% of the additional voters

  For the first time in the last four Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, women have accounted for over 80% of additional voters in 2026.

  Of about 25.3 lakh more votes polled this time than in the 2021 election, around 20.8 lakh have come from women, taking their share to approximately 82%. In the previous three elections (2011, 2016, and 2021), women had more or less shared the honours with men for the increase in voter turnout. The share in 2011 was a little less than 60%, whereas it was about 50% on the two other occasions.

  Even though the share of women in additional voters this time has created an all-time high record, the tally of 20.8 lakh more women voters comes third in terms of absolute number, the highest being around 34.4 lakh in 2016 and 22.3 lakh in 2011. Five years ago, approximately 13.6 lakh more women turned up at the polling booths vis a vis 2016.

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  Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2026: Women make up over 80% of the additional voters

  In the 2026 Tamil Nadu polls, women made up over 80% of additional voters, marking a historic turnout increase.

• May 04, 2026 06:07

  All set for counting; ECI promises transparency

  The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday (May 3, 2026) said it would uphold the “highest standards of transparency, security and efficiency” during the counting of votes on Monday (May 4, 2026) for the elections to the Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry and the bye-elections in seven Assembly constituencies of five States.

  A record number of 4,87,98,833 voters, constituting 85.10% of the electorate in Tamil Nadu, will on Monday (May 4, 2026) determine to what extent the political landscape of the State, dominated for nearly half-a-century by the DMK and its offshoot AIADMK, is disrupted by reigning Kollywood superstar C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in its debut Assembly election.

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  All set for counting; ECI promises transparency

  ECI ensures transparent and secure vote counting as elections conclude in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.