Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli 2026: TVK's R.S. Murughan wins by 11,414 votes
TVK's R.S. Murughan took Tirunelveli with 75,840 votes, holding off DMK's S. Subramanian by 11,414 votes in one of the party's marquee debut wins. The seat goes back to the Dravidian-leaning column after BJP's Nainar Nagendran held it in 2021, with TVK turning the Nellai municipal heartland into one of its strongest southern showings.
Top 5 candidates
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MURUGHAN.R.S. | TVK | 75,840 | 35.15% |
| 2 | SUBRAMANIAN.S | DMK | 64,426 | 29.86% |
| 3 | THACHAI GANESARAJA | AIADMK | 47,504 | 22.02% |
| 4 | SATHYA. B. | NTK | 15,108 | 7.00% |
| 5 | DR.SHYAM KRISHNASAMY | IND | 10,634 | 4.93% |
Postal ballot breakdown
Postal-ballot leader differs from overall winner. DMK SUBRAMANIAN.S led postal ballots (977), but TVK MURUGHAN.R.S. won the seat overall (75,840).
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUBRAMANIAN.S | DMK | 977 | 63,449 | 64,426 |
| 2 | MURUGHAN.R.S. | TVK | 683 | 75,157 | 75,840 |
| 3 | THACHAI GANESARAJA | AIADMK | 551 | 46,953 | 47,504 |
| 4 | SATHYA. B. | NTK | 200 | 14,908 | 15,108 |
| 5 | DR.SHYAM KRISHNASAMY | PT | 161 | 10,473 | 10,634 |
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.
About Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli, locally Nellai, is the headquarters town of Tirunelveli district and one of the oldest urban centres in southern Tamil Nadu, set on the south bank of the Tamiraparani. The constituency takes in the city's core wards including Junction, Palayamkottai and the central bazaar, and the economy runs on the Tamiraparani-fed paddy and banana trade, the Nellai halwa shops, palmyra products and a long-standing Christian, Saiva and Muslim mercantile mix. Politically the seat has flipped repeatedly between AIADMK, DMK and most recently BJP under Nainar Nagendran in 2021, before TVK took it in 2026.
Plan a visit
Take darshan at the Nellaiyappar temple in the old town, walk along the Tamiraparani at Tirunelveli Junction, and stop at the famous Iruttukadai halwa shop. Drive out to Papanasam dam upriver, Manimuthar falls and Palayamkottai's St. Xavier's churches for a longer Nellai circuit.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →