Thiruparankundram
Thiruparankundram — TVK's Nirmalkumar takes the Murugan-shrine seat by 41,553 votes
TVK's R. Nirmalkumar won Thiruparankundram by 41,553 votes over DMK's Kiruthiga Thangapandi — ending the AIADMK's two-cycle hold on the seat that surrounds one of Lord Murugan's six Aru Padai Veedu (sacred abodes). AIADMK held this seat through S. M. Seenivel in 2016 and V. V. Rajan Chellappa in 2021 — Chellappa carried it by 29,489 over CPI(M)'s Ponnuthai (on the DMK alliance ticket). DMDK's A. K. T. Raja famously swept the seat in 2011 by 48,502 votes on the AIADMK alliance ticket — the seat's largest post-2008 margin until the 2026 TVK win came close. The constituency takes its name from the 8th-century rock-cut Pandya temple where Murugan is worshipped as the wedded one — alongside his consort Deivanai.
Top 5 candidates
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NIRMALKUMAR. R. | TVK | 1,14,316 | 45.09% |
| 2 | KIRUTHIGA THANGAPANDI | DMK | 72,763 | 28.70% |
| 3 | RAJANCHELLAPPA. V.V. | AIADMK | 49,865 | 19.67% |
| 4 | SATHYADEVI. T. | NTK | 14,350 | 5.66% |
| 5 | NOTA | NOTA | 1,148 | 0.45% |
Postal ballot breakdown
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NIRMALKUMAR. R. | TVK | 738 | 1,13,578 | 1,14,316 |
| 2 | KIRUTHIGA THANGAPANDI | DMK | 688 | 72,075 | 72,763 |
| 3 | RAJANCHELLAPPA. V.V. | AIADMK | 442 | 49,423 | 49,865 |
| 4 | SATHYADEVI. T. | NTK | 194 | 14,156 | 14,350 |
| 5 | THANAPANDIAN. T. | AIPTMM | 20 | 1,068 | 1,088 |
Source: Election Commission of India · Form 20 data via results.eci.gov.in
Past results
Verified winners and runners-up across the last five elections, with the major alliance partners each side fielded.
Thiruparankundram has produced multiple dual-pill rows: 2011 saw both major candidates run on alliance tickets (DMDK in AIADMK alliance and INC in DMK alliance); 2021's runner-up Ponnuthai contested on CPI(M) within the DMK alliance; 2006's runner-up was CPI(M) on the DMK alliance side. AIADMK held the seat for two cycles through Seenivel and Rajan Chellappa before TVK's 2026 sweep.
About Thiruparankundram
Thiruparankundram — AC 195 — wraps around one of the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan (Aru Padai Veedu), the 8th-century Pandya rock-cut temple where Murugan is worshipped with his consort Deivanai as the Wedded Form. The constituency lies in southern Madurai district, on the city's south-western edge, with the temple hill rising abruptly from the Vaigai plain. The Aru Padai Veedu pilgrimage circuit — Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruchendur, Pazhani, Thiruthani and Thiruparankundram — passes through here. The seat has been competitive across recent cycles, with DMDK, AIADMK and now TVK all carrying it once each.
Thiruparankundram & the Murugan Hill
Thiruparankundram is where Lord Murugan married Deivanai — the 8th-century rock-cut Pandya shrine carved into a granite hill that rises sheer from the Vaigai plain, one of the six Aru Padai Veedu abodes of Murugan. Climb the cave temple's stone steps for the Karthigai Deepam lighting in November, then continue the abode-circuit east to Tiruchendur on the Bay of Bengal coast or north-west to Palani's Dandayudhapani. The shrine, the city of Madurai 8 km north and the Alagar Hills 20 km on the other side make a tight three-temple weekend.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →