Rishivandiyam
All 25 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. KarthikeyanWonDMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 89,71136.65% |
| 2 | G. Ashok KumarTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 84,84934.66% |
| 3 | P. ChezhiyanPMK Pattali Makkal Katchi | 56,48823.08% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 40,710 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 2,44,261 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | P. Radhika (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 7,2472.96% |
| 5 | V. N. Senthikumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1,0710.44% |
| 6 | P. Selvaraj (lost deposit)IND Independent | 8000.33% |
| 7 | A. Balakrishnan (lost deposit)BSP Bahujan Samaj Party | 5780.24% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 5340.22% | |
| 8 | S. Anbumurugan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 4580.19% |
| 9 | G. K. Sevvantha (lost deposit)AMK Anna Makkal Katchi | 3220.13% |
| 10 | N. Ranganathan (lost deposit)AIPTMM All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam | 3020.12% |
| 11 | G. Arumugam (lost deposit)PRP Parivartan Rajniti Party | 2910.12% |
| 12 | J. Venkatraman (lost deposit)NMK Naadaalum Makkal Katchi | 2510.10% |
| 13 | A. Karthikeyan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2440.10% |
| 14 | C. Manikandan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2410.10% |
| 15 | S. Vinoth (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2080.08% |
| 16 | K. Sezhiyan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1730.07% |
| 17 | R. Sankar (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 1610.07% |
| 18 | G. Vijayakumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1410.06% |
| 19 | C. Gowtham (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1360.06% |
| 20 | S. Raja (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1300.05% |
| 21 | V. Karthikeyan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1250.05% |
| 22 | K. Raja (lost deposit)IND Independent | 980.04% |
| 23 | D. Anbu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 900.04% |
| 24 | L. Narayanan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 830.03% |
| 25 | A. Marikkannu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 630.03% |
Rishivandiyam 2026: DMK's Karthikeyan back with a tighter win
DMK's K. Karthikeyan held Rishivandiyam with 89,711 votes, ahead of TVK's G. Ashok Kumar. The margin has compressed sharply from his earlier wins on the seat: 41,728 votes in 2021 and 20,503 in 2016. Before Karthikeyan, DMDK chief Vijayakanth carried the seat in 2011 by 30,795.
Where Rishivandiyam was won
| Led by | Booths of 350 | Villages of 122 |
|---|---|---|
| K. Karthikeyan DMK | 162 | 65 |
| G. Ashok Kumar TVK | 120 | 41 |
| Others | 68 | 16 |
| Closest village | Porasapattu: TVK ahead by 2 | |
K. Karthikeyan’s biggest leads
- Rangappanur+5685 booths
- Sozhavandipuram+4844 booths
- Soolankurichi+4396 booths
G. Ashok Kumar’s best villages
- Melsiruvalur+5817 booths
- Rishivandiyam+5588 booths
- Pasar+5527 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
- Kallakurichi
- Electors, 2026
- 2,73,571women 1,36,883 (50.0%) · men 1,36,637 (49.9%) · third gender 51
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Postal ballot breakdown
1,645 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Karthikeyan | DMK | 840 | 88,871 | 89,711 |
| 2 | G. Ashok Kumar | TVK | 384 | 84,465 | 84,849 |
| 3 | P. Chezhiyan | PMK | 353 | 56,135 | 56,488 |
| 4 | P. Radhika | NTK | 54 | 7,193 | 7,247 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 6 | 528 | 534 |
Source: Election Commission of India · Form 20 data via results.eci.gov.in. The totals of two independents, A. Marikkannu (63) and K. Raja (98), follow Form 21E and Form 20 of the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu; our first copy of the Election Commission's results page (7 May 2026) showed 64 and 97. Winner, runner-up and margin are the same.
How this seat compares
| Measure | This seat | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winning margin, votes | 4,862 | 175th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 36.6% | 131st | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 89.5% | 74th | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 2,44,795 | 30th | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 25 | =24th | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 534 | 199th | 784 |
| Since 2021 | DMK held the seat. In 2021 K. Karthikeyan won it by 41,728 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.
About Rishivandiyam
Rishivandiyam is a rural constituency in the new Kallakurichi district, on the Salem-Viluppuram fringe. The seat covers Sankarapuram and Rishivandiyam blocks, with cashew, tapioca and sugarcane forming the rural backbone. Around 2.45 lakh voters polled in 2026.
Politically it is best remembered as the seat from which DMDK founder Vijayakanth fought in 2011, and DMK's K. Karthikeyan has held it since 2016. The big local issues are tapioca procurement prices, Sankarapuram road upgrades and groundwater pumping.
Plan a Rishivandiyam trip
Drive the Sankarapuram-Kallakurichi road through cashew plantations and stop at the hilltop Periyamudaiyan temple. The Manimuktha river dam and Kalvarayan hills foothills sit within an hour's drive for a weekend escape.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Rishivandiyam in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
K. Karthikeyan of DMK won Rishivandiyam (AC 78) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 89,711 votes, 36.65% of the votes polled, ahead of G. Ashok Kumar of TVK by 4,862 votes.
Who is the MLA of Rishivandiyam?
K. Karthikeyan of DMK was elected MLA for Rishivandiyam in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Rishivandiyam in 2026?
Turnout was 89.5%: 2,44,795 of 2,73,571 electors voted.
Which district is Rishivandiyam in?
Rishivandiyam (constituency number 78) is in Kallakurichi district, part of the Kallakurichi Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Rishivandiyam before 2026?
In 2021 K. Karthikeyan of DMK won by 41,728 votes over S. A. Santhosh. In 2016 K. Karthikeyan of DMK won by 20,503 votes over K. Dhandapani.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)Form 21E, return of election (PDF)ECI result, AC 78
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