Tamil Nadu's political scene is undergoing a transformation as it approaches the 2026 Legislative Assembly elections scheduled for April 23. The state has seen significant shifts since the deaths of influential leaders J. Jayalalithaa of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in December 2016 and M. Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in August 2018. In the 2021 elections, the DMK, led by M.K. Stalin, won 159 of 234 seats, ending a decade of AIADMK rule. The DMK continued its success in the 2024 general elections, winning all 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu, while the AIADMK, which had distanced itself from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), failed to secure any seats. As the 2026 elections approach, the AIADMK has rejoined the NDA and nominated Edappadi K. Palaniswami as its chief ministerial candidate. The party's manifesto includes 297 promises, such as monthly assistance for women. Complicating the electoral landscape is the new political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), founded by actor Vijay, which aims to contest all constituencies independently. With 56.7 million voters eligible to participate, the upcoming elections are poised to be highly competitive.