Karur
Karur 1,821-vote thriller — Vijayabhaskar holds AIADMK seat in 3-way race
Sitting AIADMK MLA M. R. Vijayabhaskar held Karur by 1,821 votes in a three-way knife-edge contest — TVK's V. P. Mathiyalagan finished second with 69,721 votes, and DMK's M. Thiagarajan a further 2,465 behind at 67,256. With 80 candidates on the ballot, Karur produced one of the most crowded contests anywhere in Tamil Nadu in 2026. Vijayabhaskar's margins have eroded each cycle: ≈15,512 (2016) → ≈7,400 (2021) → 1,821 (2026). His long-time DMK rival V. Senthil Balaji, who pushed him close in 2016 and 2021, has since shifted to Aravakurichi.
Top 5 candidates
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M.R. VIJAYABHASKAR | AIADMK | 71,542 | 33.30% |
| 2 | MATHIYALAGAN V.P | TVK | 69,721 | 32.46% |
| 3 | AASEE.M. THIAGARAJAN | DMK | 67,256 | 31.31% |
| 4 | KARUPPAIYA. R | NTK | 5,465 | 2.54% |
| 5 | NOTA | NOTA | 539 | 0.25% |
Postal ballot breakdown
Postal-ballot leader differs from overall winner. DMK AASEE.M. THIAGARAJAN led postal ballots (824), but AIADMK M.R. VIJAYABHASKAR won the seat overall (71,542).
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AASEE.M. THIAGARAJAN | DMK | 824 | 66,432 | 67,256 |
| 2 | M.R. VIJAYABHASKAR | AIADMK | 655 | 70,887 | 71,542 |
| 3 | MATHIYALAGAN V.P | TVK | 388 | 69,333 | 69,721 |
| 4 | KARUPPAIYA. R | NTK | 75 | 5,390 | 5,465 |
| 5 | NOTA | NOTA | 15 | 524 | 539 |
Source: Election Commission of India · Form 20 data via results.eci.gov.in
How this seat compares
- Most crowded ballot in the state — 80 candidates contested this seat.
Past results
Verified winners and runners-up across the last five elections, with the major alliance partners each side fielded.
The 2011, 2006 margins and runner-up names for those years are pending fresh ECI Form-21 lookup; figures here are rounded estimates from secondary sources. The 2016 and 2021 results are well-attested across Wikipedia + IndiaVotes. V. Senthil Balaji shifted from Karur to Aravakurichi by 2021 (and won there); the Vijayabhaskar–Senthil Balaji rivalry defined the seat through three cycles before TVK's V. P. Mathiyalagan replaced DMK as the AIADMK challenger in 2026.
About Karur
Karur is the headquarters town of Karur district (carved from Tiruchirappalli in 1995) and one of India's most globally connected textile-export hubs — bedsheets, table linens and home textiles from Karur's mills ship to half the world. The Cauvery cuts through Karur taluk near Mayanur, and the ancient Pasupatheeswarar Temple at the heart of the old town is where Saint Karuvur Devar — one of the nine composers of Thiruvisaippa — lived. The seat has been a Vijayabhaskar–Senthil Balaji rivalry for three cycles since 2008.
Karur & Pasupatheeswarar Country
Karur pairs an ancient Shiva sthalam with a globally connected textile economy — the Pasupatheeswarar Temple anchors an old town whose bedsheets and table linens ship across the world. The Cauvery sweeps past at Mayanur, the Thanthonimalai hill temple offers panoramic views over Karur's Cauvery plains, and Amaravathi Dam sits a short drive away on the district's western edge — fed by the Anaimalai catchment and known for its crocodiles.
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