V.S. Babu turns giant slayer by defeating TN Chief Minister Stalin in Kolathur

IN one of the most dramatic results of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, V.S. Babu, a seasoned politician with a turbulent career spanning multiple parties, has defeated Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in the Kolathur constituency, marking a watershed moment in the State’s political history.

Babu, once a trusted lieutenant within the DMK, began his political journey as a grassroots organiser and rose through the ranks to become the North Chennai district secretary of the party.

He was elected as an MLA from Purasawalkam in 2006, establishing himself as a prominent face in North Chennai politics. However, his trajectory within the DMK took a downturn amid internal shifts, particularly following the rise of P.K. Sekarbabu within the party structure.

After being removed from his organisational post, Babu distanced himself from the DMK and briefly joined the AIADMK.

In a significant political move ahead of the 2026 elections, he aligned with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Vijay. The party fielded him from Kolathur—ironically the long-time bastion of Stalin—setting the stage for a high-stakes contest.

Defying expectations, Babu capitalised on shifting voter sentiment and local dynamics to secure a decisive victory over Stalin, who had represented the constituency since 2011 and was seeking a fourth-consecutive term.

The defeat marks a rare instance of a sitting Chief Minister losing an Assembly election in Tamil Nadu.

With this result, Stalin joins a short list of incumbents who have suffered electoral defeats while in office. Among them are P.S. Kumarasamy Raja, M. Bhaktavatsalam, and J. Jayalalithaa, who lost the Bargur seat in 1996.

Another towering figure, K. Kamaraj, was defeated in Virudhunagar, though he was not the sitting Chief Minister at the time. His defeat to DMK student leader P. Srinivasan remains a notable chapter in the State’s political history.

Babu’s victory is being seen as symbolic of the broader political churn in Tamil Nadu, where Vijay’s TVK has disrupted decades of Dravidian dominance and emerged as a formidable force.