Tamil Nadu Poll Results: Who is VS Babu, man who defeated MK Stalin in Kolathur: Once managed DMK chief's poll campaign

Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections Results has made actor-turned-politician Vijay the ‘Thalapathy’ of the state. While it is a celebration day for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has more than one reason to mourn: the most embarrassing being the defeat of Chief Minister MK Stalin from his stronghold of Kolathur. TVK's VS Babu became the man to end Stalin's 15-year reign in the constituency. Not only this, Stalin will be out of the Assembly first time since 1989. Stalin made a poll debut poll in 1984 from Thousand Lights Assembly constituency but lost. Thereafter, he made a comeback in 1989 and has won every elections since then. He won four times from Thousand Lights Assembly constituency and three times from Kolathur. Interestingly, the man who defeated him worked with him years ago.

Who is VS Babu?

VS Babu began his political career in Stalin's DMK, and rose up the ranks to become North Chennai district secretary of the party. According to reports, he became a trustworthy name in Chennai’s urban political landscape. He entered the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2006 after winning the Purasawalkam seat. When Stalin shifted his base from Thousand Lights to Kolathur, he was the campaign manager. Though, Stalin won, his margin was narrow (2,734 votes). The DMK leadership blamed Babu for the poor performance and removed him from his party post, replacing him with PK Sekar Babu. Internal conflict in the party led to disagreements and he was removed from other party responsibilities and eventually exited the DMK in 2011. He later had a brief association with the AIADMK before making another political shift ahead of the 2026 elections. In February 2026, he joined Vijay's TVK.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu Election Results: Vijay brings back MGR magic - Is his story similar to AIADMK founder?

Stalin's defeat

Stalin was defeated by Babu by a margin of 8795 votes. Stalin formally conceded defeat and congratulated the winners. "We bow to and accept the verdict of the people. Congratulations to the victors! In the past five years, we have created numerous projects and provided good governance to the people of Tamil Nadu. We have elevated Tamil Nadu in every way. In the electoral arena, we sought votes only by speaking of our achievements" he wrote in a post on X. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said that the party has begun reviewing the reasons behind outgoing the DMK chief was defeated.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu Election Results 2026 Winners: Who won, who lost

What is the final tally of Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections?

In Tamil Nadu, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has secured a decisive victory with 108 seats, emerging as the single largest party in the 234-member Assembly. The DMK finishes second with 59 seats, while AIADMK comes third with 47 seats. Though, a clear mandate in favour of TVK, it falls short of an absolute majority on its own, making post-poll alliances crucial to forming the government. Among other parties, Congress wins 5 seats, followed by PMK with 4 seats. IUML, CPI, VCK, and CPI(M) secure 2 seats each. Meanwhile, BJP, DMDK, and AMMK manage 1 seat each.