CHENNAI: With the high-stakes Tamil Nadu Assembly election voting concluding peacefully yesterday, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has flown to Dubai for a one-week holiday with his family, and Chief Minister MK Stalin to leave for Kodaikanal Saturday morning, amid reports that several other leaders are also heading to foreign destinations or hill stations to recover from the gruelling campaign trail.
The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election recorded a robust voter turnout of approximately 85 per cent across the state, setting a new benchmark. The polling on Thursday was held peacefully after weeks of intense, round-the-clock campaigning by political leaders.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, who had campaigned tirelessly across Tamil Nadu for the DMK-led alliance candidates and also in his own Chepauk constituency, left from Chennai airport this morning at 10 am on an Emirates Airlines flight. According to sources, he will rest in Dubai for a couple of days and may also visit a few neighbouring countries before returning to Chennai next week.
With a 10-day gap between polling and the vote count, leaders across parties are now taking a break. Following the Deputy Chief Minister’s lead, several other top leaders are reportedly planning to travel abroad or to hill stations such as Kodaikanal and Ooty for rest and recuperation.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin is scheduled to leave for Kodaikanal Saturday morning. He will depart from his official residence on Saturday morning and is expected to return after four days.