TN election results 2026 |Congress strike rate plummets to 17%; party weighs to side with TVK in hung Assembly

CHENNAI: The Congress, reeling from a sharp drop in its strike rate to 17% in the 2026 Assembly elections, is weighing a possible realignment with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) amid indications of a hung Assembly. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulating Vijay on the victory and a related social media post have fuelled speculation.

The party contested 28 seats after hard-fought negotiations with its ally DMK, but managed to win only five. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai was among those defeated, losing in Sriperumbudur.

The performance marks a steep fall from recent elections. In 2021, the Congress won 18 of 25 seats (72% strike rate), while in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it secured all nine seats it contested. By contrast, its 2026 Assembly strike rate dropped drastically to 17%.

One of the party’s few bright spots came in Melur, where P Vishwanathan, a Dalit candidate contesting in a general constituency, won by 2,724 votes, defying earlier criticism over his candidature.

With TVK projected to win around 106 seats—short of the majority mark of 118—the possibility of a hung Assembly has opened the door for post-poll alliances. Sources indicate that Congress may consider extending support to TVK to facilitate government formation.

AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar said the party is closely monitoring the results and will submit a detailed report, including TVK’s performance, to senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge before taking a final call. He also confirmed that Gandhi had spoken to Vijay over the phone.