Tirunelveli
All 20 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | R. S. MurughanWonTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 75,84034.72% |
| 2 | S. SubramanianDMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 64,42629.50% |
| 3 | Thachai GanesarajaAIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 47,50421.75% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 36,284 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 2,17,708 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | B. Sathya (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 15,1086.92% |
| 5 | Dr. Shyam Krishnasamy (lost deposit)PT Puthiya Tamilagam | 10,6344.87% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 7170.33% | |
| 6 | S. Arumugaraj (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 5560.25% |
| 7 | M. Thalabathi Murugan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 4760.22% |
| 8 | S. Murugan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 4280.20% |
| 9 | Chendur Maharajan (lost deposit)PMTDK Puthiya Makkal Tamil Desam Katchi | 3460.16% |
| 10 | Mugesh Subramanian (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3460.16% |
| 11 | M. Veerabaghu (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3370.15% |
| 12 | G. Kannan (lost deposit)AJPK Aanaithinthiya Jananayaka Pathukappu Kazhagam | 2900.13% |
| 13 | E. Subramanian (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2600.12% |
| 14 | V. Athisaya Pndiyan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2300.11% |
| 15 | P. Velayutham (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2210.10% |
| 16 | P. Murugan (lost deposit)TPMK Thamizhaka Padaippalar Makkal Katchi | 2100.10% |
| 17 | Murugalakshmanan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1710.08% |
| 18 | S. Eswara Vadivu (lost deposit)NIP Naam Indiar Party | 1140.05% |
| 19 | Selvakumar Singh (lost deposit)BDP Bahujan Dravida Party | 1090.05% |
| 20 | V. Esakkiraja (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1020.05% |
Tirunelveli 2026: TVK's R.S. Murughan wins
TVK's R.S. Murughan took Tirunelveli with 75,840 votes, holding off DMK's S. Subramanian 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.
Where Tirunelveli was won
| Led by | Booths of 386 | Villages of 52 |
|---|---|---|
| R. S. Murughan TVK | 235 | 30 |
| S. Subramanian DMK | 100 | 12 |
| Others | 51 | 10 |
| Closest village | Mavadi: TVK ahead by 7 | |
R. S. Murughan’s biggest leads
- Tirunelveli+4,762182 booths
- Suthamalli+91715 booths
- Ramaiyanpatti+8278 booths
S. Subramanian’s best villages
- Kurichikulam+6322 booths
- Manur+3715 booths
- Ukkirankottai+3607 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
- Tirunelveli
- Electors, 2026
- 2,75,857women 1,42,206 (51.6%) · men 1,33,571 (48.4%) · third gender 80
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Voters by age (roll of 6 April 2026)
Age in years · registered electors
- 18–196,8852.5%
- 20–2949,07417.8%
- 30–3954,71219.8%
- 40–4960,06121.8%
- 50–5950,15218.2%
- 60–6932,77411.9%
- 70–7916,9416.1%
- 80+5,2581.9%
Source: Tirunelveli District Election OfficerAge-cohort table for the roll at the last date of filing nominations, 6 April 2026
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).
2,658 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S. Subramanian | DMK | 977 | 63,449 | 64,426 |
| 2 | R. S. Murughan | TVK | 683 | 75,157 | 75,840 |
| 3 | Thachai Ganesaraja | AIADMK | 551 | 46,953 | 47,504 |
| 4 | B. Sathya | 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
How this seat compares
| Measure | This seat | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winning margin, votes | 11,414 | 118th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 34.7% | 174th | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 79.2% | 210th | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 2,18,425 | 84th | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 20 | =63rd | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 717 | 140th | 784 |
| Since 2021 | TVK took the seat from BJP. In 2021 Nainar Nagendran won it by 23,107 votes. | ||
Winners and runners-up, 1996–2026
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.
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 the city's long-standing bazaar trade.
Politically the seat flipped repeatedly between AIADMK and DMK, went to the BJP under Nainar Nagendran in 2021, and to TVK 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 →Quick answers
Who won Tirunelveli in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
R. S. Murughan of TVK won Tirunelveli (AC 224) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 75,840 votes, 34.72% of the votes polled, ahead of S. Subramanian of DMK by 11,414 votes.
Who is the MLA of Tirunelveli?
R. S. Murughan of TVK was elected MLA for Tirunelveli in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Tirunelveli in 2026?
Turnout was 79.2%: 2,18,425 of 2,75,857 electors voted.
Which district is Tirunelveli in?
Tirunelveli (constituency number 224) is in Tirunelveli district, part of the Tirunelveli Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Tirunelveli before 2026?
In 2021 Nainar Nagendran of BJP won by 23,107 votes over A.L.S. Lakshmanan. In 2016 A.L.S. Lakshmanan of DMK won by 601 votes over Nainar Nagendran.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 224
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