Vandavasi
All 15 candidates
| # | Candidate | Votes · share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | S. AmbethkumarWonDMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 63,80533.37% |
| 2 | P. RaniAIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | 60,47231.63% |
| 3 | M. UdhayakumarTVK Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam | 58,17430.43% |
| Below this line, candidates lost their deposit: 31,702 votes or fewer, one-sixth of the 1,90,216 votes for all candidates | ||
| 4 | R. Ganesh (lost deposit)NTK Naam Tamilar Katchi | 5,4952.87% |
| NOTANone of the above: not a candidate | 9880.52% | |
| 5 | A. Rani (lost deposit)IND Independent | 6740.35% |
| 6 | M. Jaisankar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 3310.17% |
| 7 | P. Ponnambalam (lost deposit)IND Independent | 2620.14% |
| 8 | S. Thamarai Selvi (lost deposit)TVAK Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi | 2520.13% |
| 9 | N. Udhayakumar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1870.10% |
| 10 | K. Muthuperumal (lost deposit)AJPK Aanaithinthiya Jananayaka Pathukappu Kazhagam | 1240.06% |
| 11 | S. Kanniyappan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1210.06% |
| 12 | V. Muthuselvam (lost deposit)ACDP Anti Corruption Dynamic Party | 1130.06% |
| 13 | T. Ambedkar (lost deposit)IND Independent | 1040.05% |
| 14 | R. Rakesh Sharma (lost deposit)TK Thakkam Katchi | 610.03% |
| 15 | M. Arjunan (lost deposit)IND Independent | 410.02% |
Vandavasi — DMK's Ambethkumar holds 1760 battlefield seat
DMK's S. Ambethkumar held Vandavasi — the Tiruvannamalai SC-reserved seat that takes its name from the 1760 Battle of Wandiwash — narrowly over AIADMK's P. Rani. Ambethkumar had won the seat decisively in 2021 (35,953-vote margin) and 2016 (18,068); the 2026 result is more than ten times tighter, the constituency's narrowest finish since the 2008 delimitation.
AIADMK's V. Gunaseelan held the seat in 2011 by 12,296 votes; DMK's S. P. Jayaraman won by 22,788 in 2006; PMK's K. Murugavelrajan took it in 2001.
The Battle of Wandiwash, fought 22 January 1760, was the decisive engagement of the Third Carnatic War — Eyre Coote's British forces broke French power in southern India here, paving the way for British Madras.
Where Vandavasi was won
| Led by | Booths of 293 | Villages of 154 |
|---|---|---|
| S. Ambethkumar DMK | 110 | 57 |
| P. Rani AIADMK | 112 | 63 |
| Others | 71 | 34 |
| Closest village | Thennathur: AIADMK ahead by 3 | |
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
- Reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC)
- Lok Sabha seat
- Arani
- Electors, 2026
- 2,13,474women 1,08,099 (50.6%) · men 1,05,370 (49.4%) · third gender 5
Sources · electoral roll, reservation: ECI · Lok Sabha seat: 2008 delimitation order
Postal ballot breakdown
1,949 postal ballots · from polling staff, election-duty officers, absentee voters · counted before EVM rounds
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S. Ambethkumar | DMK | 794 | 63,011 | 63,805 |
| 2 | P. Rani | AIADMK | 630 | 59,842 | 60,472 |
| 3 | M. Udhayakumar | TVK | 364 | 57,810 | 58,174 |
| 4 | R. Ganesh | NTK | 73 | 5,422 | 5,495 |
| 5 | T. Ambedkar | IND | 39 | 65 | 104 |
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 | 3,333 | 186th | 11,416 |
| Winner’s share | 33.4% | 200th | 37.4% |
| Turnout | 89.6% | 71st | 86.9% |
| Votes cast | 1,91,204 | 160th | 2,08,471 |
| Candidates | 15 | =94th | 15 |
| NOTA votes | 988 | 62nd | 784 |
| Since 2021 | DMK held the seat. In 2021 S. Ambethkumar won it by 35,953 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.
Vandavasi is reserved for Scheduled Castes. S. Ambethkumar won the seat in 2016, 2021 and 2026 — but the 2026 margin is a tenfold collapse from his 2021 cushion of 35,953.
TVK's M. Udhayakumar ran a close third with 58,174 votes (30.43%), 2,298 behind the runner-up; AIADMK's P. Rani came closer than any AIADMK-alliance candidate here since the party's 2011 win.
About Vandavasi
Vandavasi — AC 69, reserved for Scheduled Castes — sits in southern Tiruvannamalai district, named for the historic town where Eyre Coote's British East India Company forces defeated the French under Lally on 22 January 1760, in the decisive battle of the Third Carnatic War.
The DMK won it in 2006 and AIADMK in 2011; PMK had won the older, pre-delimitation seat in 2001. S. Ambethkumar (DMK) won the seat in three consecutive elections — 2016, 2021 and 2026 — but the 2026 hold was a nail-biter.
Vandavasi & the Battlefield Belt
Vandavasi is the town where French southern India ended — the 22 January 1760 battle on the plains east of town saw Eyre Coote's company sepoys break Lally's Pondicherry-based French army, paving the way for British Madras.
Drive 70 km south-east to Pondicherry's old French quarter for the other side of that story, or 50 km north-east to Kanchipuram for the Ekambareswarar gopuram and the silk-loom lanes. The Tiruvannamalai Girivalam circuit lies 60 km west.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →Quick answers
Who won Vandavasi in the 2026 Tamil Nadu election?
S. Ambethkumar of DMK won Vandavasi (AC 69) in the April 2026 Assembly election with 63,805 votes, 33.37% of the votes polled, ahead of P. Rani of AIADMK by 3,333 votes.
Who is the MLA of Vandavasi?
S. Ambethkumar of DMK was elected MLA for Vandavasi in April 2026 and sits in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly.
What was the turnout in Vandavasi in 2026?
Turnout was 89.6%: 1,91,204 of 2,13,474 electors voted.
Which district is Vandavasi in?
Vandavasi (constituency number 69) is in Tiruvannamalai district, part of the Arani Lok Sabha seat.
Who won Vandavasi before 2026?
In 2021 S. Ambethkumar of DMK won by 35,953 votes over S. Murali. In 2016 S. Ambethkumar of DMK won by 18,068 votes over V. Meganathan.
Sources: Form 20, booth-wise result (PDF)ECI result, AC 69
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