Thousand Lights
All 18 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | J. C. D. PrabhakarWonTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 58,96544.73% |
| 2 | Ezhilan NaganathanDMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 43,82433.24% |
| 3 | B. ValarmathiAIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 23,32017.69% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 21,834 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 1,31,009 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | Kalanchiyam Mu (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 3,7172.82% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 8150.62% | |
| 5 | E. Valarmathi (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2450.19% |
| 6 | H. Mohamed Ghouse (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 2030.15% |
| 7 | A. Sathya (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1650.13% |
| 8 | D. Valarmathy (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1020.08% |
| 9 | D. Vijay (lost deposit)IND Independent | 830.06% |
| 10 | B. Prabhakaran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 640.05% |
| 11 | V. Prabhakaran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 630.05% |
| 12 | S. Karthikeyan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 610.05% |
| 13 | A. Sundara Raju (lost deposit)IND Independent | 480.04% |
| 14 | V. Shankar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 420.03% |
| 15 | T. Prabhakaran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 360.03% |
| 16 | E. Muniyan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 280.02% |
| 17 | V. Dhanasekaran (lost deposit)IND Independent | 230.02% |
| 18 | E. Pachaiyappan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 200.02% |
Thousand Lights — TVK's Prabhakar takes Stalin's old seat
J. C. D. Prabhakar opened Thousand Lights for the TVK with 58,965 votes, beating DMK's Ezhilan Naganathan. Naganathan had held the seat since 2021, when he beat the BJP's Khushbu Sundar by 32,462 votes. Before him, K. K. Selvam (DMK, 2016), B. Valarmathi (AIADMK, 2011) and M. K. Stalin (DMK, 2006) carried it.
Where Thousand Lights was won
| Led by | Booths of 247 |
|---|---|
| J. C. D. Prabhakar TVK | 188 |
| Ezhilan Naganathan DMK | 47 |
| Others | 12 |
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
- Chennai Central
- Electors, 2026
- 1,57,529women 82,221 (52.2%) · men 75,239 (47.8%) · third gender 69
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Postal ballot breakdown
Postal-ballot leader differs from overall winner. DMK EZHILAN NAGANATHAN led postal ballots (600), but TVK PRABHAKAR.J.C.D won the seat overall (58,965).
1,457 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezhilan Naganathan | DMK | 600 | 43,224 | 43,824 |
| 2 | J. C. D. Prabhakar | TVK | 420 | 58,545 | 58,965 |
| 3 | B. Valarmathi | AIADMK | 349 | 22,971 | 23,320 |
| 4 | Kalanchiyam Mu | NTK | 37 | 3,680 | 3,717 |
| 5 | Nota | NOTA | 15 | 800 | 815 |
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 | 15,141 | 89th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 44.7% | 36th | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 83.7% | 164th | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 1,31,824 | 231st | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 18 | =82nd | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 815 | 108th | 784 |
| Since 2021 | TVK took the seat from DMK. In 2021 Ezhilan Naganathan won it by 32,462 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.
Stalin won here in 2006 before moving to Kolathur; AIADMK won it in 2011, the DMK took it back in 2016 and held it in 2021, and TVK won it in 2026.
About Thousand Lights
Thousand Lights sits in central Chennai around the Anna Salai spine — Royapettah, parts of Triplicane, Gopalapuram and Wallajah Road — taking its name from the 19th-century Saheb Mohammed Ibrahim mosque whose oil lamps once lit the precinct.
The seat covers Apollo Hospital, Kalaignar TV's old base on Gopalapuram, the Music Academy, and the consulate row near Cathedral Road. It was M. K. Stalin's home seat in 2006 before he moved to Kolathur.
Anna Salai's mosque to the Music Academy
Walk Anna Salai from the Thousand Lights mosque past the LIC building to Cathedral Road, dropping into the Music Academy for an evening kutcheri. Cross to Royapettah for grilled chicken and Mughlai parathas, or visit the Devi cinema for a first-day-first-show old-Madras experience.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Thousand Lights in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
J. C. D. Prabhakar of TVK won Thousand Lights (AC 20) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 58,965 votes, 44.73% of the votes polled, ahead of Ezhilan Naganathan of DMK by 15,141 votes.
Who is the MLA of Thousand Lights?
J. C. D. Prabhakar of TVK was elected MLA for Thousand Lights in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Thousand Lights in 2026?
Turnout was 83.7%: 1,31,824 of 1,57,529 electors voted.
Which district is Thousand Lights in?
Thousand Lights (constituency number 20) is in Chennai district, part of the Chennai Central Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Thousand Lights before 2026?
In 2021 Ezhilan Naganathan of DMK won by 32,462 votes over Khushbu Sundar. In 2016 K. K. Selvam of DMK won by 8,829 votes over B. Valarmathi.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 20
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