Udhayanidhi Stalin retained his Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency, defeating D. Selvam by 7,140 votes. This victory comes amid a significant defeat for the DMK, as his father, M.K. Stalin, lost his own Kolathur seat.
This marks Udhayanidhi’s second consecutive win in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. However, the margin was much narrower than in 2021 when he won by 69,355 votes.
The DMK faced a dramatic reduction in its seat share, plummeting from 133 seats to just 6 as of 5 PM on election day. In contrast, the TVK secured 10 seats and was leading in 99 others.
Key facts:
- Udhayanidhi’s lead was confirmed after round 8 when he led by just 1,048 votes.
- The Chepauk constituency has historical significance; Udhayanidhi’s grandfather, Karunanidhi, won there three times before its unification with Triplicane.
- Observers expect Udhayanidhi to become the leader of opposition if the DMK remains the main opposition party.
Udhayanidhi is widely seen as the political heir of Karunanidhi and M.K. Stalin. His win contrasts sharply with the overall performance of the DMK in this election cycle.
