US-Iran war Trump tariffs CJP protest in Delhi World Brain Day

Tamil Nadu election results: Meet TVK’s VS Babu, the giant slayer who defeated MK Stalin

TVK's VS Babu has sprung a surprise in Tamil Nadu. He has defeated incumbent Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in the Kolathur constituency, a DMK bastion that Stalin has held since 2011

According to his election affidavit, VS Babu owns total assets worth Rs 3.7 crore and has declared an annual income of Rs 4.5 lakh. Image courtesy: X

FP Explainers|May 04, 2026, 14:53:34 IST

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has lost the Kolathur constituency to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate VS Babu, marking a major setback for the DMK.

The initial rounds of voting indicated that the sitting chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, was trailing in the Kolathur seat, his stronghold. And the man who has finally defeated CM Stalin in the Kolathur constituency is Babu, Vijay's party candidate.

The "Vijay effect" has taken over Tamil Nadu. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADM) have taken a backseat, according to the latest trends.

Actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party has taken the lead in Tamil Nadu, the citadel of Dravidian politics for over 50 years, and is disrupting the dominance of the AIADMK and the DMK.

Who is TVK's VS Babu?

VS Babu is one of the key figures in TVK and a grassroots leader based in Chennai. He is currently the joint general secretary of debutant TVK.

According to the election affidavit filed with the Election Commission of India, the male candidate is 75-years-old.

Vijay's TVK has pitted Babu as its candidate from the Kolathur assembly seat against Chief Minister Stalin.

Before joining TVK, Babu was associated with AIADMK, where he held influential roles, including influential positions in the Chennai Corporation from 2006 to 2011. Earlier, he had also served as a DMK MLA in North Chennai, according to the Sunday Guardian.

The Hindu reported that Babu has studied up to class 8. According to his election affidavit, he owns total assets worth Rs 3.7 crore and has declared an annual income of Rs 4.5 lakh.

Kolathur assembly constituency: Key political battlefield

Kolathur, one of the seven Assembly constituencies in North Chennai, has long been a bastion of the ruling DMK, which has been held by CM Stalin for the past 15 years.

Stalin, who is also the DMK president, has held the seat since 2011. In the 2021 polls, he secured a decisive victory, defeating AIADMK’s Aadhi Rajaram by a margin of 70,384 votes, NDTV reported.

Kolathur is located in Chennai, and the constituency has become a densely populated residential and commercial hub, placing increasing strain on civic amenities.

Voter turnout in this high-profile seat rose sharply to 86.12 per cent, up from 61.68 per cent in 2021, denoting a significant rise in political engagement.

According to the latest trends on the Election Commission website, TVK appears poised to deliver a big blow to both the ruling DMK and the main opposition, AIADMK.

Vijay's party, which was launched in 2024, is currently ahead in 110 of the state's 234 seats. ADMK is 57, DMK 49, PMK 5, INC 4, CPI 3 and IUML 2, according to the latest trends on the Election Commission's website.

With inputs from agencies