India, May 4 -- Veteran politician VS Babu has emerged as a surprise contender in Tamil Nadu's Kolathur constituency, taking on Chief Minister MK Stalin in a high-stakes contest.

A former DMK MLA who has since joined Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the 75-year-old is drawing attention for his strong showing in what has long been considered a DMK stronghold.

As counting continues in Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin is trailing in the Kolathur constituency after briefly taking the lead, according to analytics platform Pvalue. His party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is ahead in 60 seats.

Currently, VS Babu of TVK is leading with 7,361 votes. Other contenders include P Santhana Krishnan of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Sound...