Sankarapuram
All 22 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | R. RakeshWonAIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 80,25034.07% |
| 2 | T. UdhayasuriyanDMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 76,81032.61% |
| 3 | A. JagadesanTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 67,62428.71% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 39,190 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 2,35,145 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | K. Ramesh (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 5,5672.36% |
| 5 | M. Ramachandiran (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 6770.29% |
| 6 | P. Manikandan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 5790.25% |
| 7 | M. Sudha (lost deposit)BSP Bahujan Samaj Party | 5440.23% |
| 8 | A. Mayilamparai Mari (lost deposit)IND Independent | 5120.22% |
| 9 | J. Vijay (lost deposit)IND Independent | 4090.17% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 3830.16% | |
| 10 | K. Pachaiyappan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3510.15% |
| 11 | K. Nadarajan (lost deposit)AIPTMM All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam | 3280.14% |
| 12 | P. Durai Ezhilan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2950.13% |
| 13 | A. Gangasekar (lost deposit)MSK MAKKAL SAKTHI KATCHI | 2230.09% |
| 14 | G. Mani (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1660.07% |
| 15 | Dr. K. Murugu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1130.05% |
| 16 | M. Samikkannu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1120.05% |
| 17 | K. Jayaprakash (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1110.05% |
| 18 | S. Anbazhagan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1050.04% |
| 19 | N. Sanniyasi (lost deposit)VTVTK Veerath Thiyagi Viswanathadoss Thozhilalarkal Katchi | 1000.04% |
| 20 | V. Kavikuil (lost deposit)IND Independent | 970.04% |
| 21 | J. Harun Rasheeth (lost deposit)IND Independent | 870.04% |
| 22 | R. Vignesh (lost deposit)IND Independent | 850.04% |
Sankarapuram — AIADMK's Rakesh flips DMK seat
AIADMK's R. Rakesh took Sankarapuram — a Kallakurichi seat at the foot of the Kalvarayan hills that DMK's T. Udhayasuriyan had held twice — with Udhayasuriyan as a close runner-up. Udhayasuriyan's earlier wins were emphatic: 45,963 votes in 2021 and 14,528 in 2016.
AIADMK's P. Mohan held the seat in 2011 (12,198 votes); DMK's A. Angaiyarkanni won in 2006 by 2,466. Pre-2008, T. Udhayasuriyan (DMK) had won the seat in 1996 and PMK's P. Kasampu in 2001. The 2026 result is the seat's narrowest finish since the 2008 delimitation, and ends the DMK's two-term run (2016 and 2021).
Where Sankarapuram was won
| Led by | Booths of 340 | Villages of 108 |
|---|---|---|
| R. Rakesh AIADMK | 142 | 51 |
| T. Udhayasuriyan DMK | 144 | 42 |
| Others | 54 | 15 |
| Closest village | Sembarampattu: TVK ahead by 6 | |
R. Rakesh’s biggest leads
- Chinnasalem+1,67925 booths
- Seshasamuthiram+1,2924 booths
- Eduthavainatham+9217 booths
T. Udhayasuriyan’s best villages
- Sankarapuram+85918 booths
- Mottaiyanur+5002 booths
- Kallipattu+3893 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
- 2,65,951women 1,34,400 (50.5%) · men 1,31,507 (49.4%) · third gender 44
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Postal ballot breakdown
Postal-ballot leader differs from overall winner. DMK UDHAYASURIYAN T led postal ballots (1,169), but AIADMK RAKESH R won the seat overall (80,250).
2,653 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T. Udhayasuriyan | DMK | 1,169 | 75,641 | 76,810 |
| 2 | R. Rakesh | AIADMK | 881 | 79,369 | 80,250 |
| 3 | A. Jagadesan | TVK | 517 | 67,107 | 67,624 |
| 4 | K. Ramesh | NTK | 58 | 5,509 | 5,567 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 12 | 371 | 383 |
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 | 3,440 | 185th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 34.1% | 187th | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 88.6% | 92nd | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 2,35,528 | 44th | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 22 | =46th | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 383 | 231st | 784 |
| Since 2021 | AIADMK took the seat from DMK. In 2021 T. Udhayasuriyan won it by 45,963 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.
T. Udhayasuriyan has been Sankarapuram's defining politician for 30 years — he won the older pre-delim seat in 1996, lost a 1,018-vote heart-breaker to PMK's P. Kasampu in 2001, lost again to AIADMK's P. Mohan in 2011, then took the seat back in 2016 and 2021 before AIADMK's R. Rakesh flipped it in 2026.
About Sankarapuram
Sankarapuram (AC 79) sits in the southern reaches of Kallakurichi district at the foot of the Kalvarayan range, the Eastern Ghats spur that climbs toward 4,000 feet of tribal-belt forest.
The constituency has existed since well before the 2008 delimitation — DMK's T. Udhayasuriyan won here in 1996, PMK's P. Kasampu in 2001 — and Udhayasuriyan returned to win two consecutive elections in 2016 and 2021. The 2026 result reverses that arc: AIADMK's R. Rakesh flipped the seat in 2026.
Sankarapuram & the Kalvarayan Foothills
Sankarapuram is where the Kallakurichi plain runs into the Kalvarayan range — a less-known Eastern Ghats stretch where Malayali tribal villages still farm millets at 3,500 feet. Drive up the ghat road to the Megam Falls trail and the Periyakalrayan view-point, then back down to Manimuthar's reservoir for an evening picnic on the dam embankment.
The Vriddhachalam Shiva sthalam and the Pennaiyar's slow bend at Pennadam both make easy half-day add-ons.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Sankarapuram in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
R. Rakesh of AIADMK won Sankarapuram (AC 79) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 80,250 votes, 34.07% of the votes polled, ahead of T. Udhayasuriyan of DMK by 3,440 votes.
Who is the MLA of Sankarapuram?
R. Rakesh of AIADMK was elected MLA for Sankarapuram in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Sankarapuram in 2026?
Turnout was 88.6%: 2,35,528 of 2,65,951 electors voted.
Which district is Sankarapuram in?
Sankarapuram (constituency number 79) is in Kallakurichi district, part of the Kallakurichi Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Sankarapuram before 2026?
In 2021 T. Udhayasuriyan of DMK won by 45,963 votes over G. Raja. In 2016 T. Udhayasuriyan of DMK won by 14,528 votes over P. Mohan.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 79
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