How Tamil Nadu voted in 2021 — and what it means for the upcoming election

2026-03-20 - 08:10

In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, the DMK-led alliance swept to power with 159 seats. But a closer look at the numbers reveals a much tighter contest than the seat count suggests with just a five percentage point gap in vote share between the DMK and the AIADMK. In this episode of Tamil Nadu Elections with The Hindu, we break down the 2021 verdict, examine alliance performances, regional voting patterns, and the role of smaller parties. As Tamil Nadu prepares to vote again, we explore why the last election still matters and what it tells us about the political landscape ahead.