Cityshocked: DMK loses much of north TN to Vijay, no respite for Kolathur

CHENNAI: In a shock, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), in its 76-year-old journey, has not witnessed anything like this: the MK Stalin-led party is losing its urban strongholds to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), with the Chief Minister himself losing in Kolathur.

Loss of seats in Chennai and other urban centres is one of the key factors that prevented the party from securing three-digit seats.

The DMK, which had performed strongly in Chennai and neighbouring districts in the 2021 election, lost 14 constituencies in the capital, including Chief Minister MK Stalin's Kolathur. However, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and Minister PK Sekar Babu retained their seats in Chepauk–Triplicane and Harbour, respectively.

In the Kancheepuram–Tiruvallur–Chengalpattu (KTC) belt in northern Tamil Nadu, where the DMK had won around 25 constituencies in 2021, the TVK made significant inroads, capturing a majority of seats. The party's surge also extended to tier-II cities such as Tiruchy and Madurai, traditionally considered DMK strongholds.

However, the TVK faced stiff resistance in districts such as Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Tiruvarur, and Dindigul, where both the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) maintained a strong presence. The DMK also failed to make significant gains in the western belt, a region historically dominated by the AIADMK, which contributed to its overall setback. To make inroads into western districts, particularly Coimbatore, the DMK shifted its strongman, V Senthilbalaji, from Karur to Coimbatore. But he alone was able to win from the Coimbatore South seat.

The developments underline the DMK's long-standing see-saw electoral journey since it first came to power in 1967 under CN Annadurai. While the party witnessed historic victories under M Karunanidhi, it also faced sharp declines following the rise of MG Ramachandran and later electoral cycles.

From landslide wins in 1996 to setbacks in 2011 and a return to power in 2021, the DMK's trajectory has reflected alternating phases of dominance and decline. The 2026 election now marks another turning point, with the emergence of TVK reshaping the political landscape and posing a fresh challenge to the Dravidian major.