Papanasam
All 13 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. M. ShahjahanWonIUML Indian Union Muslim League | 69,28433.35% |
| 2 | Azarudeen Uduman AliTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 68,21932.84% |
| 3 | Dorai Shanmuga PrabuAIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 57,07227.48% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 34,501 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 2,07,007 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | Anis Fathima (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 9,6044.62% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 7160.34% | |
| 5 | C. Chandrasekaran (lost deposit)TDMK Thamizh Desiya Munnetra Kazhagam | 5240.25% |
| 6 | A. Anis Fathima Abdul Rahim (lost deposit)IND Independent | 5030.24% |
| 7 | K. Masilamani (lost deposit)CPIL Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) | 3550.17% |
| 8 | B. Dhamodharan (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 3070.15% |
| 9 | S. Natarajan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2970.14% |
| 10 | V. Thiyagarajan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2480.12% |
| 11 | V. Kulandhaivelu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2050.10% |
| 12 | A. S. Thangarasu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2010.10% |
| 13 | K. Rajendran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1880.09% |
Papanasam — IUML's Shahjahan wins in Cauvery delta seat
A.M. Shahjahan of the IUML wins Papanasam over TVK's Azarudeen Uduman Ali, a rare IUML pickup in the Tamil Nadu delta. The seat was an AIADMK stronghold for fifteen years under R. Doraikkannu, who won three straight terms including 2016.
After Doraikkannu's death from Covid-19, the DMK alliance gave the seat to MMK's M.H. Jawahirullah, who won in 2021 with 86,567 votes and a 16,273-vote margin. The 2026 result keeps Papanasam in the Muslim-party column inside the DMK alliance.
Where Papanasam was won
| Led by | Booths of 315 | Villages of 92 |
|---|---|---|
| A. M. Shahjahan IUML | 99 | 24 |
| Azarudeen Uduman Ali TVK | 134 | 43 |
| Others | 82 | 25 |
| Closest village | Ullikadai: AIADMK ahead by 2 | |
A. M. Shahjahan’s biggest leads
- Sakkarapalli+1,7917 booths
- Pandaravadai+1,7188 booths
- Rajagiri+1,5779 booths
Azarudeen Uduman Ali’s best villages
- Ammapettai+70213 booths
- Papanasam+53117 booths
- Alangudi+4143 booths
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
- Mayiladuthurai
- Electors, 2026
- 2,56,518women 1,31,755 (51.4%) · men 1,24,740 (48.6%) · third gender 23
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Postal ballot breakdown
1,582 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. M. Shahjahan | IUML | 542 | 68,742 | 69,284 |
| 2 | Dorai Shanmuga Prabu | AIADMK | 529 | 56,543 | 57,072 |
| 3 | Azarudeen Uduman Ali | TVK | 364 | 67,855 | 68,219 |
| 4 | Anis Fathima | NTK | 107 | 9,497 | 9,604 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 14 | 702 | 716 |
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 | 1,065 | 219th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 33.4% | 201st | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 81.0% | 194th | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 2,07,723 | 122nd | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 13 | =165th | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 716 | 141st | 784 |
| Since 2021 | IUML took the seat from DMK. In 2021 M.H. Jawahirullah won it by 16,273 votes. | ||
Winners and runners-up, 2006–2026
2011, 2016 and 2021 rows: checked against the ECI detailed results. Earlier rows: secondary sources. Two-part pill: alliance leader first, then the candidate's party.
Papanasam was an AIADMK fortress under R. Doraikkannu — three straight wins in 2006, 2011 and 2016 — before MMK's Jawahirullah took it for the DMK alliance in 2021 and IUML's Shahjahan held it for DMK in 2026.
About Papanasam
Papanasam sits in the Cauvery delta heart of Thanjavur district, taking its name from the Papanasanathar Shiva temple on the river. The constituency contains Suryanar Kovil — the only Navagraha temple dedicated to the Sun, with separate shrines for the eight other planetary deities, raised in masonry by Kulottunga Chola in the 11th century.
Swamimalai's celebrated stapathi families still cast bronze icons here using the lost-wax method that Chola sculptors perfected. Paddy and an organic-farming push along the Cauvery distributaries shape the rural vote, and the bronze and silk economy of the temple corridor pulls in the urban pilgrim trade.
Suryan Sthalam & Bronze Casters
Papanasam is named for its Papanasanathar Shiva temple on the Cauvery. Drive to Suryanar Kovil — the only Sun Navagraha temple, raised by Kulottunga Chola in the 11th century with shrines for all eight other planetary deities.
Visit a Swamimalai stapathi workshop where lost-wax bronze icons are still cast the Chola way, then return through paddy country for filter coffee at a delta tiffin room.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Papanasam in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
A. M. Shahjahan of IUML won Papanasam (AC 172) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 69,284 votes, 33.35% of the votes polled, ahead of Azarudeen Uduman Ali of TVK by 1,065 votes.
Who is the MLA of Papanasam?
A. M. Shahjahan of IUML was elected MLA for Papanasam in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Papanasam in 2026?
Turnout was 81.0%: 2,07,723 of 2,56,518 electors voted.
Which district is Papanasam in?
Papanasam (constituency number 172) is in Thanjavur district, part of the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Papanasam before 2026?
In 2021 M.H. Jawahirullah of DMK won by 16,273 votes over K. Gopinathan. In 2016 R. Doraikkannu of AIADMK won by 24,365 votes over T. R. Loganathan.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 172
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