In a major political upset, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has lost from the Kolathur constituency, a seat long considered his political base. The defeat came at the hands of V. S. Babu from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, marking one of the most dramatic moments of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Kolathur witnessed a tightly contested three-way battle involving the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, TVK, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. As counting progressed into the later rounds, trends showed Stalin trailing by a significant margin. By the advanced stages of counting, V. S. Babu had built a lead of over 8,000 votes, signaling a decisive shift in voter sentiment in a constituency that had previously been a stronghold for the DMK leader.
This result is being seen as part of a broader political churn in Tamil Nadu, where newer players like TVK have disrupted the traditional dominance of established Dravidian parties. The outcome in Kolathur, in particular, underscores the scale of this transformation.
Meanwhile, in Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured another important victory as its candidate Hitendranath Goswami defeated Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi in the Jorhat Assembly constituency.
Gogoi, who is a sitting Member of Parliament, was contesting an Assembly election for the first time. Despite a high-profile campaign, he fell short against Goswami, who retained the seat with a comfortable margin of over 23,000 votes. The BJP candidate’s victory reflects both his established presence in the constituency and the party’s continued strength in the region.
These twin setbacks for prominent opposition leaders highlight the broader electoral trend emerging across states, where established political figures are facing unexpected challenges from both rivals and shifting voter preferences.
As counting concludes in more constituencies, these results are likely to shape the narrative of the 2026 elections as one marked by significant political realignments and surprise outcomes.
