Tamil Nadu is waiting for the official decision in the 2026 election and a ten-year-old photograph has suddenly become important again, changing the focus of political discussion. The picture of Narendra Modi and Vijay, the actor who became a politician, is being shared a lot as the votes are counted, and is affecting how people understand TVK’s important first attempt at winning seats.
Why the photo matters now
The fact that the picture has appeared now is what’s causing all the excitement. Because we don’t have the final results, the picture is standing in for bigger questions about which parties will work with each other and who has power in the state as its politics are changing.
People on the internet are looking at the picture for hidden meanings, but the picture itself doesn’t reveal anything new.
Digital moment meets ballot math
Alongside all the activity on social media, the initial vote counts are giving us a first idea of how things are going. The Election Commission of India’s updates show TVK in the lead in 104 seats, which is a very noticeable start for a new party in the election for the State Assembly.
Vijay, who is the leader of TVK, is ahead in Perambur (by 2,990 votes) and Tiruchirappalli (East) (by 3,299 votes), according to the current counts.
Counting started at 8 AM on May 4 and is still going on. We haven’t had the final results yet and the differences in votes could change as more counts are completed.
Here are the pivotal developments at a glance:
– Old Modi-Vijay photo goes viral during counting
– TVK is leading in 104 seats
– Vijay leads in Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East
– Counting began May 4 at 8 AM
The origin of the image
The photo isn’t new. Narendra Modi put it on his official Twitter account on April 16, 2014 with the description: ‘With a well-known film personality from the south, Vijay.’
The picture shows a friendly meeting. However, looking at it now has a different effect because Vijay isn’t just a famous film star anymore; he’s in charge of a political party which is trying to win control of Tamil Nadu.
Stakeholders read between the lines
Both Vijay’s supporters and people who disagree with him are using the picture to support their own ideas about power, how well things are going, and what agreements might be made. The conversation online has gone past just what is in the picture, to what the moment might mean for the political situation in Tamil Nadu.
However, the photo isn’t revealing anything new. It’s a picture from the past which is now being used as a symbol in the present.
Why this matters for voters
For many people, the picture being shared so widely shows how things we see online can connect with actual changes happening in the real world. TVK being in the lead in 104 seats puts them at the center of how power will be shared at the state level, and Vijay doing well in his own areas strengthens that.
The picture, appearing now, is making the story of the election more dramatic, but the definite numbers will only come from the places where the votes are being counted.
Between hype and hard data
At the moment, the Election Commission of India’s counts are the only official indications of what is happening. Being 2,990 votes ahead in Perambur and 3,299 in Tiruchirappalli (East) shows Vijay has strong support in those areas, but the total isn’t official until all the counting is finished.
On the internet, the photo has drawn more attention to how TVK is doing, but hasn’t immediately changed the election results.
What comes next
The counting of votes will continue until every single vote has been included. Whether TVK’s current success will turn into real and lasting power, or will end up being a smaller achievement, will be decided by the final number of seats each party wins.
Until then, the photograph from 2014 will probably continue to be shared, not so much as proof of anything, but as something which attracts a lot of attention in a state that is in the process of changing.
