Who is Vijay, 'Thalapathy' behind TVK rising against DMK and AIADMK? Check net worth and background

Vote counting trends for the General Election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly Constituencies 2026 are underway. Counting is still in progress, and final results are not confirmed as more rounds of counting continue. Early trends are being updated as data from constituencies is processed.

In Tamil Nadu, early vote-counting trends show a close contest among major political parties. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is currently leading in 110 seats out of the 224 seats counted so far.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is ahead in 56 seats. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is leading in 49 seats. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is ahead in 5 seats, while Indian National Congress (INC) is leading in 4 seats.

No party has reached the majority mark yet as counting is still underway.

Early trends in Tamil Nadu Assembly election

The early trends show Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam as the leading party in initial rounds of counting. The party is ahead of established political parties such as DMK and AIADMK in the current trends. However, the situation remains open as counting is not complete and seat positions may change in later rounds.

The performance of DMK and AIADMK remains important in the overall race. Both parties have a long political presence in Tamil Nadu and are still competing closely in the current trends. Smaller parties such as PMK and Congress are also present in limited numbers based on early seat updates.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and its position

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is a relatively new political party in Tamil Nadu politics. Despite being new, it is currently emerging as a frontrunner in early counting trends. The party is contesting its first major Assembly election and has shown strong early performance compared to long-established political parties in the state.

Vijay: Background and political entry

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam was founded by Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar. Vijay is an Indian actor and politician who mainly works in Tamil cinema. He is widely known by his screen name “Vijay” and is popularly called “Thalapathy” by his fans, a title that means commander. He was born on 22 June 1974 in Madras, Tamil Nadu. He is one of the most popular actors in South India.

Vijay comes from a film background. He is the son of film director S. A. Chandrasekhar and playback singer Shoba Chandrasekhar. He studied in Chennai and later joined Loyola College for visual communication. However, he left his studies midway to focus on acting.

He started his acting career at a young age and later became a leading actor in Tamil cinema. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in around 69 films in lead roles.

Many of his films have been commercial successes. He has built a strong fan base across Tamil Nadu and other southern states. He is known for action films, dance performances and strong box office openings.

In February 2024, Vijay announced his decision to retire from films and enter politics. He launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam as his political party. His entry into politics received strong attention in Tamil Nadu due to his popularity in cinema and large fan following.

Assets, income and election data

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report for Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026, Vijay has declared total assets worth Rs 648 crore. This makes him one of the wealthiest candidates in the election data analysis. The average asset per candidate in the election is reported at Rs 5.17 crore.

The report also states that Vijay’s total income for the financial year 2024–25 is Rs 184.53 crore. This includes the income of the self, spouse and dependents. This places him among the top candidates in terms of declared income in the election analysis.

The ADR report shows variation in average assets across political parties. Indian National Congress candidates have average assets of Rs 27.37 crore. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidates have Rs 21.37 crore.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidates have Rs 53.02 crore on average. Bharatiya Janata Party candidates have Rs 14.82 crore, while Pattali Makkal Katchi candidates have Rs 15.01 crore.

The report further notes that 25 per cent of the 3992 candidates analysed are crorepatis. This is higher compared to 18 per cent in the 2021 elections. The total declared assets of all candidates stand at Rs 20,678 crore. This shows the scale of financial profiles among contesting candidates.

As counting continues, the final result of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2026 will depend on the remaining rounds of vote counting and final seat confirmations across constituencies.