The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has suffered a crushing defeat in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, losing to debutant Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor-politician Vijay.
DMK president MK Stalin conceded defeat, saying his party would function as an excellent opposition in the state assembly.
The DMK, which had swept the Lok Sabha polls two summers ago, was restricted to 60 seats, while TVK won 107 seats and AIADMK secured 47.
Stalin himself lost to TVK's VS Babu by a margin of 8,795 votes from the Kolathur seat, a seat he had been representing since 2011.
Political analysts attributed the DMK's loss to its failure to effectively gauge the ground reality, especially anti-incumbency against several of its legislators, and the rising popularity of actor Vijay.
The DMK was also accused of promoting dynastic politics, with Stalin's son Udhayanidhi being a key figure in the party and government.
Experts said the DMK's failure to attract aspirational youth and first-time voters, who felt the two Dravidian parties no longer represented their interests, cost the party dearly in the polls.
The opposition also attacked the DMK over issues of law and order, women safety, and corruption, which further impacted the party's prospects.
