Udhayanidhi Stalin secured a victory in the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency during the Tamil Nadu elections on May 4, 2026, defeating D. Selvam by 7,140 votes. This win marks Udhayanidhi’s second consecutive term in this key political stronghold.
Despite Udhayanidhi’s success, the DMK faced a significant setback as his father, M.K. Stalin, lost his own seat in Kolathur. The DMK’s performance drastically declined from holding 133 seats in the previous election to just 6 seats as of 5 PM on election day.
Udhayanidhi’s victory was narrower than his previous win in 2021, where he had a commanding margin of 69,355 votes. As the results unfolded, Udhayanidhi initially led by only 1,048 votes at round eight of counting.
Key electoral statistics:
- Udhayanidhi won with a lead of 7,140 votes over D. Selvam.
- The DMK’s seat share fell from 133 to 6 seats.
- TVK secured 10 seats and was leading in an additional 99.
Historically, Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni has been a stronghold for the DMK; Udhayanidhi’s grandfather, Karunanidhi, won thrice from this constituency before its unification with Triplicane in 2011. Observers see Udhayanidhi as the political heir to both Karunanidhi and M.K. Stalin.
As the dust settles on this election cycle, it is anticipated that Udhayanidhi may take on a leadership role as the opposition if the DMK emerges as the main opposition party. This development could shape Tamil Nadu’s political landscape significantly in the coming years.
