Pudukkottai
All 30 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | V. MuthurajaWonDMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 66,82535.10% |
| 2 | K. M. ShariffTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 64,95834.12% |
| 3 | N. RamachandranBJP Bharatiya Janata Party | 41,08921.58% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 31,651 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 1,89,911 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | Ezhilarasi Vijayendran (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 11,6736.13% |
| 5 | K. Kailasakumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 6690.35% |
| 6 | E. Ramalingam (lost deposit)PROBC Party for the Rights of Other backward Classes | 5100.27% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 4670.25% | |
| 7 | B. Senthilnathan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 4660.24% |
| 8 | S. Niyaz Ahamed (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 3720.20% |
| 9 | S. Selvaraj (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3510.18% |
| 10 | G. Duraisaravanan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3240.17% |
| 11 | C. Govindasamy (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2390.13% |
| 12 | C. Karuppaiah (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2330.12% |
| 13 | A. Subaresh Raja (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2320.12% |
| 14 | P. Kangatharan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2100.11% |
| 15 | D. Ramesh (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1930.10% |
| 16 | R. Sivakumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1920.10% |
| 17 | R. Ramachandran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1900.10% |
| 18 | V. R. Jayakumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1290.07% |
| 19 | C. Ramachandran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1280.07% |
| 20 | K. Rengan (lost deposit)PT Puthiya Tamilagam | 1220.06% |
| 21 | C. Karuppaiah (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1120.06% |
| 22 | K. Dhanagopal (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1020.05% |
| 23 | G. Manimegalai (lost deposit)CPIL Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) | 1000.05% |
| 24 | C. Ramachandran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 890.05% |
| 25 | M. A. Muthukumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 830.04% |
| 26 | G. Arivazhagan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 810.04% |
| 27 | A. Rajasekar (lost deposit)VTVTK Veerath Thiyagi Viswanathadoss Thozhilalarkal Katchi | 740.04% |
| 28 | K. Murugesan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 640.03% |
| 29 | G. Muthuraj (lost deposit)IND Independent | 620.03% |
| 30 | A. Radhakrishnan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 390.02% |
Pudukkottai — DMK's V. Muthuraja holds against TVK's K.M. Shariff
V. Muthuraja returns to Pudukkottai for the DMK with a slim win over TVK's K.M. Shariff, well down from his 2021 margin. Muthuraja first took the seat in 2021 with 85,802 votes (47.9 per cent) and a 13,001-vote lead over AIADMK's Karthik Thondaiman.
The seat had alternated before that: DMK's Periyannan Arassu won in 2016 by 2,084 votes, and CPI's P. Muthukumaran (AIADMK alliance) had carried it in 2011 with 65,466 votes against Periyannan, by 3,101 votes.
Where Pudukkottai was won
| Led by | Booths of 297 | Villages of 48 |
|---|---|---|
| V. Muthuraja DMK | 123 | 16 |
| K. M. Shariff TVK | 125 | 20 |
| Others | 49 | 12 |
| Closest village | Kallukaranpatti: BJP ahead by 4 | |
V. Muthuraja’s biggest leads
- Pudukkottai+2,547146 booths
- Puthambur+2733 booths
- Mullur+2266 booths
K. M. Shariff’s best villages
- Nathampannai+59810 booths
- Kavinadu West+3794 booths
- Malaiyur+2635 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
- Tiruchirappalli
- Electors, 2026
- 2,25,944women 1,15,113 (50.9%) · men 1,10,809 (49.0%) · third gender 22
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Postal ballot breakdown
2,209 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | V. Muthuraja | DMK | 1,080 | 65,745 | 66,825 |
| 2 | K. M. Shariff | TVK | 504 | 64,454 | 64,958 |
| 3 | N. Ramachandran | BJP | 403 | 40,686 | 41,089 |
| 4 | Ezhilarasi Vijayendran | NTK | 164 | 11,509 | 11,673 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 27 | 440 | 467 |
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 | 1,867 | 208th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 35.1% | 168th | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 84.3% | 154th | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 1,90,378 | =167th | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 30 | =8th | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 467 | 217th | 784 |
| Since 2021 | DMK held the seat. In 2021 V. Muthuraja won it by 13,001 votes. | ||
Winners and runners-up, 2011–2026
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.
District-headquarters seat; swung four ways in last four elections.
About Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai is the district headquarters and the only seat in Tamil Nadu named after a princely state — the Thondaiman kingdom that survived as a sovereign British ally until amalgamation with the Indian Union on 4 March 1948. The town is centred on the Pallava-era Kokarneswarar temple at Thirukokarnam, family-deity shrine of the Thondaiman rajas, where Brihadambal is consort.
The Government Museum, started by the rajas, holds rare collections in archaeology, numismatics and zoology. Karaikudi-school veena tradition still finds patrons here. Avudaiyarkoil, the unusual Shiva shrine without a lingam, lies 30 km out.
Princely Pudukkottai
Pudukkottai is the only Tamil town named for a princely state — the Thondaiman kingdom, sovereign till March 1948. Walk Thirukokarnam's Pallava-era Kokarneswarar shrine, family deity of the rajas, and the Government Museum the rajas founded, with archaeology, numismatics and bronzes. Catch a Karaikudi-school veena recital, then drive 30 km to Avudaiyarkoil, the Shiva temple with no lingam.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Pudukkottai in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
V. Muthuraja of DMK won Pudukkottai (AC 180) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 66,825 votes, 35.10% of the votes polled, ahead of K. M. Shariff of TVK by 1,867 votes.
Who is the MLA of Pudukkottai?
V. Muthuraja of DMK was elected MLA for Pudukkottai in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Pudukkottai in 2026?
Turnout was 84.3%: 1,90,378 of 2,25,944 electors voted.
Which district is Pudukkottai in?
Pudukkottai (constituency number 180) is in Pudukkottai district, part of the Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Pudukkottai before 2026?
In 2021 V. Muthuraja of DMK won by 13,001 votes over Karthik Thondaiman. In 2016 Periyannan Arassu of DMK won by 2,084 votes over Karthik Thondaiman.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 180
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