2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election

The scheduled 2026 election to choose representatives for all 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the state legislature of Tamil Nadu, India.

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Tamil Nadu: A state in southern India whose capital is Chennai. The election takes place across this state’s assembly constituencies.
Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu: The lower house of Tamil Nadu’s state legislature, whose members are elected from single-member constituencies. Its 234 seats are the offices contested in the election.
2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election: The 2021 election that returned the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to power in Tamil Nadu. Its result formed the assembly whose five-year term leads to the 2026 contest.
Politics of Tamil Nadu: The parties, institutions, and political traditions governing Tamil Nadu. The election is a major contest within the state’s distinctive political landscape.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam: A political party founded by actor Vijay in Tamil Nadu in 2024. Its participation and electoral impact are unresolved questions for the contest.
First-past-the-post voting: An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins a constituency. Each assembly constituency elects one member under this voting system.
Constituency: A geographical electoral district whose voters choose a representative. Tamil Nadu is divided into assembly constituencies, each returning one member.
2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly: The Tamil Nadu Assembly constituted after the 2021 state election. Its members hold office during the period preceding the scheduled election.
Dravidian politics: A political tradition in Tamil Nadu emphasizing social justice, Tamil identity, and opposition to caste hierarchy and Hindi imposition. Its ideas and legacy inform the leading parties’ platforms and political identities.
Electoral alliance: An agreement between political parties to coordinate candidates or campaigning in an election. Alliance formation may reshape the field before nominations and polling.