Sankarankovil
All 20 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Dhilipan JaishankarWonAIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 64,86533.01% |
| 2 | C. RamarajanTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 58,37629.71% |
| 3 | Sangai GanesanINC Indian National Congress | 42,56721.66% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 32,653 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 1,95,920 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | M. Kavitha (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 12,7676.50% |
| 5 | Vasanthi Murugesan (lost deposit)AIPTMM All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam | 8,0064.07% |
| 6 | Prabakaran (lost deposit)PT Puthiya Tamilagam | 4,6122.35% |
| 7 | K. Suresh (lost deposit)IND Independent | 7660.39% |
| 8 | Anand (lost deposit)IND Independent | 6610.34% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 5600.29% | |
| 9 | V. Paulpandian (lost deposit)IND Independent | 5040.26% |
| 10 | S. Mariappan (lost deposit)BSP Bahujan Samaj Party | 5000.25% |
| 11 | C. Ravi (lost deposit)TMNK Tamilaga Makkal Nala Katchi | 4870.25% |
| 12 | K. Ravikumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3980.20% |
| 13 | S. Arulraj (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2590.13% |
| 14 | K. Subburaj (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2150.11% |
| 15 | J. Pandi (lost deposit)BMK Bharatha Makkal Katchi | 1830.09% |
| 16 | S. Muthuselvan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1830.09% |
| 17 | S. Velraj (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 1700.09% |
| 18 | K. Thangavel (lost deposit)PMTDK Puthiya Makkal Tamil Desam Katchi | 1630.08% |
| 19 | N. Selvam (lost deposit)NIP Naam Indiar Party | 1340.07% |
| 20 | M. Raj (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1040.05% |
Sankarankovil 2026: AIADMK's Dhilipan Jaishankar flips seat
AIADMK's Dr. Dhilipan Jaishankar took Sankarankovil with 64,865 votes, holding off TVK's C. Ramarajan. The result flips the SC-reserved seat back from DMK after a single term, with TVK's debut showing pushing the AIADMK candidate close in a 20-cornered contest.
Where Sankarankovil was won
| Led by | Booths of 315 | Villages of 68 |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Dhilipan Jaishankar AIADMK | 158 | 49 |
| C. Ramarajan TVK | 109 | 14 |
| Others | 48 | 5 |
| Closest village | Moovirunthali: AIADMK ahead by 1 | |
Dr. Dhilipan Jaishankar’s biggest leads
- South Sankarankovil+1,4717 booths
- Senthamangalam+68318 booths
- A.Karisalkulam+6123 booths
C. Ramarajan’s best villages
- Sankarankovil+2,12951 booths
- Devarkulam+1,3018 booths
- Vadakku Panavadali+3788 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
- Reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC)
- Lok Sabha seat
- Tenkasi (SC)
- Electors, 2026
- 2,38,082women 1,22,524 (51.5%) · men 1,15,541 (48.5%) · third gender 17
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Postal ballot breakdown
Postal-ballot leader differs from overall winner. TVK C. RAMARAJAN led postal ballots (1,182), but AIADMK DR. DHILIPAN JAISHANKAR won the seat overall (64,865).
3,528 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C. Ramarajan | TVK | 1,182 | 57,194 | 58,376 |
| 2 | Dr. Dhilipan Jaishankar | AIADMK | 1,011 | 63,854 | 64,865 |
| 3 | Sangai Ganesan | INC | 598 | 41,969 | 42,567 |
| 4 | M. Kavitha | NTK | 325 | 12,442 | 12,767 |
| 5 | Vasanthi Murugesan | AIPTMM | 243 | 7,763 | 8,006 |
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 | 6,489 | 161st | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 33.0% | 210th | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 82.5% | 179th | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 1,96,480 | 148th | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 20 | =63rd | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 560 | 194th | 784 |
| Since 2021 | AIADMK took the seat from DMK. In 2021 E. Raja won it by 5,297 votes. | ||
Winners and runners-up, 1996–2026
2011, 2016 and 2021 rows: checked against the ECI detailed results. Earlier rows: secondary sources.
About Sankarankovil
Sankarankovil is an SC-reserved constituency in Tenkasi district, built around the famous Sri Sankara Narayanaswamy temple where Shiva and Vishnu share a single idol. The seat takes in the temple town, the surrounding paddy and groundnut villages, and stretches of the Tamiraparani-fed Tenkasi belt.
The economy runs on temple-pilgrimage trade, dry-zone agriculture and a strong handloom and textile presence. Politically the seat was an AIADMK fortress under C. Karuppasamy across 1996-2011 and went DMK only in 2021 with E. Raja, before flipping back to AIADMK in 2026.
Plan a visit
Take darshan at the Sankara Narayanaswamy temple, walk through the Sankarankovil bazaar during the Aadi-thapasu festival, and drive out to Tenkasi's Kasi Viswanathar temple and Courtallam falls for a longer southern circuit.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Sankarankovil in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
Dr. Dhilipan Jaishankar of AIADMK won Sankarankovil (AC 219) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 64,865 votes, 33.01% of the votes polled, ahead of C. Ramarajan of TVK by 6,489 votes.
Who is the MLA of Sankarankovil?
Dr. Dhilipan Jaishankar of AIADMK was elected MLA for Sankarankovil in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Sankarankovil in 2026?
Turnout was 82.5%: 1,96,480 of 2,38,082 electors voted.
Which district is Sankarankovil in?
Sankarankovil (constituency number 219) is in Tenkasi district, part of the Tenkasi (SC) Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Sankarankovil before 2026?
In 2021 E. Raja of DMK won by 5,297 votes over V.M. Rajalakshmi. In 2016 V.M. Rajalakshmi of AIADMK won by 14,489 votes over G. Anbumani.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 219
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