The 2024 Indian general election was held on 19 April to elect 39 members of the 18th Lok Sabha from Tamil Nadu. The results were announced on 4 June 2024, after the voting was completed in the other parts of the country.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the state and the Indian National Congress nationally, won a clean sweep of all the 39 seats in the state. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the incumbent ruling party of the union, did not win any seat in the state. The principal opposition party in the state, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which led a separate alliance lost the sole seat (Theni) that it had won as a part of the NDA in the 2019 elections. However, the NDA secured a majority nationally, and Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term.
Background
General elections are held in India once in five years to elect the members of the Lok Sabha. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha was scheduled to end on 16 June 2024. The previous general election was held in April–May 2019, after which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), formed the union government, with Narendra Modi continuing as Prime Minister of India for a second term. However, in Tamil Nadu, the Secular Progressive Alliance led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won 38 out of the 39 seats, and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which was part of the NDA, won the lone seat of Theni.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, the DMK became part of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, which was formed in July 2023 and led by the Indian National Congress nationally. On 25 September 2023, the AIADMK withdrew from the BJP-led NDA and formed a separate alliance.
In January 2024, the AIADMK and the DMK constituted internal committees to hold consultations with the other alliance partners for seat sharing. In February–March 2024, the BJP finalised seat sharing with the constituents of NDA–Pattali Makkal Katchi, and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. On 18 March, the DMK finalised seat sharing talks with its allies–the Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. On 20 and 21 March 2024, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami released the list of candidates from the party, after the party finalised seat sharing with its allies–Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Puthiya Tamilagam, and Social Democratic Party of India.
On 2 February 2024, actor Vijay officially announced the formation of his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. Despite the launch occurring ahead of the 2024 general elections, Vijay stated that the party would not contest the elections and would not extend support to any political bloc in the state.
Voters Turnout
Highest turnout in Dharmapuri constituency of 81.20% and the lowest is in Chennai Central constituency of 53.96%.
Aftermath
Though the DMK-led alliance won a clean sweep of all the 39 seats in the state, and the NDA did not win any seat in the state, the NDA won a majority nationally, and Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term.
In May 2026, after the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election Result, INC, VCK, and IUML allied with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to form the Government, breaking from DMK alliance. Thus the DMK+ alliance currently has 27 seats in Lok Sabha, while the TVK-INC-IUML-VCK alliance (which was later renamed as Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance) has 12 seats in Lok Sabha.