DMK’s fall in 2026: Anti-incumbency or something bigger?

The DMK’s defeat in the Assembly elections was not a simple one.

This was not just a change of government. 15 ministers lost their seats. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lost the Kolathur constituency, which he had held since 2011. After three and a half decades, he will not be in the Assembly.

Why did the DMK get reduced to 59 seats? This cannot be explained as straightforward anti-incumbency. 

There was no single dominant issue or wave of anger strong enough to produce this scale of outcome. The result instead reflects a shift in how the election was contested and how voters responded.

Let me explain.

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