CHENNAI: Visuals of dismantled tents at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters, marked a sombre Monday morning as early counting trends for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections placed the ruling party at a surprise third position.

As the DMK-led alliance trails, a starkly different scene is unfolding in Panaiyur and Neelankarai, the bastion of TVK. Security has been significantly tightened around the residence of actor-turned-politician Vijay in Neelangarai and the TVK party office in Panaiyur. Hundreds of enthusiastic supporters have begun to gather as the debutant party shows a strong performance, leading in 97 constituencies and locked in a neck-and-neck battle with the AIADMK, according to the Election Commission website.

The data currently suggests a tectonic shift in the state's political landscape, with several DMK heavyweights trailing in their respective segments. Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers across the capital to maintain order as trends continue to emerge from the 62 counting centres statewide.