Edappadi
Edappadi 98,110-vote landslide — EPS holds his Salem fortress
Former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami took his namesake constituency by 98,110 votes — the largest margin anywhere in Tamil Nadu in 2026 and his fourth straight win since 2011. Notably, TVK did not field a competitive candidate against him at his fortress; the runner-up was independent K. Premkumar with 50,823 votes, ahead of DMK's C. Kasi at 44,011. EPS first contested Edappadi in 2006 (losing by 6,347 votes to PMK's V. Kaveri on the DMK-led alliance ticket), then reclaimed the seat in 2011 and has held it ever since with margins climbing each cycle: 34,738 → 42,022 → 93,802 → 98,110.
Top 5 candidates
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EDAPPADI PALANISWAMI. K | AIADMK | 1,48,933 | 58.51% |
| 2 | PREMKUMAR. K | IND | 50,823 | 19.97% |
| 3 | KASI. C | DMK | 44,011 | 17.29% |
| 4 | PRIYADHARSHINI. A | NTK | 8,450 | 3.32% |
| 5 | GOVINDARAJ.V | IND | 1,662 | 0.65% |
Postal ballot breakdown
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EDAPPADI PALANISWAMI. K | AIADMK | 2,399 | 1,46,534 | 1,48,933 |
| 2 | KASI. C | DMK | 1,044 | 42,967 | 44,011 |
| 3 | PRIYADHARSHINI. A | NTK | 139 | 8,311 | 8,450 |
| 4 | PREMKUMAR. K | IND | 58 | 50,765 | 50,823 |
| 5 | NOTA | NOTA | 57 | 1,284 | 1,341 |
Source: Election Commission of India · Form 20 data via results.eci.gov.in
How this seat compares
- Biggest win in TN 2026 — AIADMK ahead by 98,110 votes.
- Among the highest winner shares in TN 2026 — 58.5% of polled votes.
Past results
Verified winners and runners-up across the last five elections, with the major alliance partners each side fielded.
EPS lost only once at Edappadi — to PMK's V. Kaveri in 2006, when PMK was a junior partner inside the DMK-led DPA alliance. From 2011 onwards he has held the seat each cycle with growing margins. The 2026 runner-up name will be updated once ECI's full statistical report for AC 86 is published; the 98,110-vote margin and AIADMK win are confirmed.
About Edappadi
Edappadi is an assembly constituency in the western Salem belt, in the heart of TN's Kongu country. Sankari's wholesale turmeric mandi (Asia's largest) sits 25 km north, the Cauvery's Mettur Dam 40 km west, and the Kolli Hills rise 70 km south. The seat has been Edappadi K. Palaniswami's political home since he reclaimed it in 2011 after a single-cycle defeat in 2006. The constituency is named after Edappadi town, and EPS himself is from the area's Kongu Vellalar Gounder community.
Edappadi & Western Salem
Edappadi is the western Salem belt where Sankari's turmeric mandi, pit-loom weaving streets and the Cauvery's Mettur reservoir meet the foothills of the Kolli range. Sankagiri's Vijayanagara fort marks the old Tipu Sultan frontier, the Devarmalai ridge is a quiet weekend trek, and Kolli Hills' 70 hairpin bends climb past the Agaya Gangai falls and Arapaleeswarar temple — quieter than Yercaud, and deeper in folklore.
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