Palayamkottai
All 17 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. Abdul WahabWonDMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 79,74444.15% |
| 2 | Maria JohnTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 65,93936.51% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 29,961 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 1,79,769 votes for all candidates | ||
| 3 | Syed Sulthan Samsudeen (lost deposit)AIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 19,73210.92% |
| 4 | Sankara Narayanan Alias Saran (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 10,4655.79% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 8510.47% | |
| 5 | V. Paulraj (lost deposit)IND Independent | 7170.40% |
| 6 | S. Karthick Narayanan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 6190.34% |
| 7 | Abdul Koya (lost deposit)IND Independent | 5600.31% |
| 8 | T. A. Umar (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 4930.27% |
| 9 | Srinivash (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3460.19% |
| 10 | V. George (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2210.12% |
| 11 | Esakkimuthu (lost deposit)PMTDK Puthiya Makkal Tamil Desam Katchi | 2010.11% |
| 12 | M. Manikandan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1490.08% |
| 13 | K. Nallakkannu Alias Karthic (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1400.08% |
| 14 | A. Sudhahar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1270.07% |
| 15 | S. Thangadurai (lost deposit)NIP Naam Indiar Party | 1230.07% |
| 16 | D. Santhiyagappar Antony (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1040.06% |
| 17 | R. Sesu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 890.05% |
Palayamkottai 2026: Abdul Wahab keeps DMK seat
M. Abdul Wahab returned to the Palayamkottai assembly with 79,744 votes, holding off TVK's Maria John on 65,939 in a 17-cornered contest. The margin is much tighter than his 52,141-vote sweep in 2021, with TVK replacing AIADMK as the principal challenger in this Tirunelveli twin-city seat.
Where Palayamkottai was won
| Led by | Booths of 296 |
|---|---|
| M. Abdul Wahab DMK | 128 |
| Maria John TVK | 168 |
Counted from Form 20, booth by booth (vote leads are in votes cast at the booth; postal ballots are counted for the whole seat only).
Every village and booth
The constituency
- Reservation
- General seat (not reserved)
- Lok Sabha seat
- Tirunelveli
- Electors, 2026
- 2,57,329women 1,32,376 (51.4%) · men 1,24,935 (48.6%) · third gender 18
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Voters by age (roll of 6 April 2026)
Age in years · registered electors
- 18–195,9552.3%
- 20–2943,34816.8%
- 30–3948,16118.7%
- 40–4954,69121.3%
- 50–5946,26618.0%
- 60–6933,17012.9%
- 70–7918,8787.3%
- 80+6,8602.7%
Source: Tirunelveli District Election OfficerAge-cohort table for the roll at the last date of filing nominations, 6 April 2026
Postal ballot breakdown
3,299 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. Abdul Wahab | DMK | 1,451 | 78,293 | 79,744 |
| 2 | Maria John | TVK | 995 | 64,944 | 65,939 |
| 3 | Syed Sulthan Samsudeen | AIADMK | 473 | 19,259 | 19,732 |
| 4 | Sankara Narayanan Alias Saran | NTK | 247 | 10,218 | 10,465 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 47 | 804 | 851 |
Source: Election Commission of India · Form 20 data via results.eci.gov.in
How this seat compares
| Measure | This seat | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winning margin, votes | 13,805 | 100th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 44.2% | 41st | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 70.2% | 234th | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 1,80,620 | 197th | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 17 | =91st | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 851 | 99th | 784 |
| Since 2021 | DMK held the seat. In 2021 M. Abdul Wahab won it by 52,141 votes. | ||
Winners and runners-up, 2011–2026
2011, 2016 and 2021 rows: checked against the ECI detailed results. Earlier rows: secondary sources.
DMK has held Palayamkottai at every election since 2011, but the margin narrowed sharply in 2026, from 52,141 in 2021.
About Palayamkottai
Palayamkottai is the cantonment-side twin of Tirunelveli town, separated from it only by the Tamirabarani river bridge. The constituency takes in the old garrison built around St Xavier's Cathedral, the Manonmaniam Sundaranar university campus and the trading belt along Trivandrum Road.
St Xavier's College, founded in 1923, and St John's school give the seat one of the densest education footprints in southern Tamil Nadu, while the Palayamkottai Central Prison anchors the older administrative quarter. It has been an unbroken DMK seat from 2011 onwards.
Travel from Palayamkottai
Walk the Cathedral compound and St Xavier's College quadrangle, cross the bridge to the halwa shops on East Car Street, and end at the Tamirabarani steps below Nellaiappar temple at sunset. Day-trippers usually pair Palayamkottai with Courtallam falls 60 km west or the Kuttralam-Tenkasi temple loop.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Palayamkottai in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
M. Abdul Wahab of DMK won Palayamkottai (AC 226) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 79,744 votes, 44.15% of the votes polled, ahead of Maria John of TVK by 13,805 votes.
Who is the MLA of Palayamkottai?
M. Abdul Wahab of DMK was elected MLA for Palayamkottai in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Palayamkottai in 2026?
Turnout was 70.2%: 1,80,620 of 2,57,329 electors voted.
Which district is Palayamkottai in?
Palayamkottai (constituency number 226) is in Tirunelveli district, part of the Tirunelveli Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Palayamkottai before 2026?
In 2021 M. Abdul Wahab of DMK won by 52,141 votes over K.J.C. Jerald. In 2016 T.P.M. Mohideen Khan of DMK won by 15,872 votes over S.K.A. Hyder Ali.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 226
Report an errorweb@tnexplorer.com