Published May 04, 2026 | 4:19 PM ⚊ Updated May 04, 2026 | 4:19 PM
In the past Kolathur has been a DMK stronghold, with Stalin holding the seat since 2011.
In a major upset for the ruling DMK, party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin has lost the Kolathur Assembly constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate VS Babu by 9,122 votes.
From the start of counting, TVK took an early lead across most seats, particularly in Chennai, where it led in all 16 constituencies.
VS Babu, a former DMK member who later joined TVK, maintained a steady lead from the early rounds. By the end of counting, he secured 82,110 votes against Stalin’s 72,988 votes.
Also Read: Nemom to Kolathur: Bigwigs falter on home turfs in Tamil Nadu, Kerala Assembly polls
In the past Kolathur has been a DMK stronghold, with Stalin holding the seat since 2011. That year, he won by under 3,000 votes against AIADMK’s Saidai Duraisamy. In 2016, he won by over 37,000 votes against JCD Prabhakar, and by around 70,000 votes in 2021 against Adhi Rajaram.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
