Veerapandi
Veerapandi 2026: TVK's Palanivel flips Veerapandi by 4,071 votes
TVK's M. S. Palanivel took Veerapandi with 79,907 votes, edging AIADMK's S. Sri Balaji Sugumar by 4,071 in a tight 21-candidate field. AIADMK had held the seat for three cycles: M. Rajamuthu by 19,895 votes in 2021, P. Manonmani by 14,481 in 2016 and S. K. Selvam by 26,498 in 2011.
Top 5 candidates
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PALANIVEL. M.S | TVK | 79,907 | 34.16% |
| 2 | SRI BALAJI SUGUMAR. S | AIADMK | 75,836 | 32.42% |
| 3 | THARUN. A.K | DMK | 69,296 | 29.62% |
| 4 | RAJESHKUMAR. S | NTK | 6,820 | 2.92% |
| 5 | BRAMAMOORTHI. M | IND | 642 | 0.27% |
Postal ballot breakdown
Postal-ballot leader differs from overall winner. DMK THARUN. A.K led postal ballots (813), but TVK PALANIVEL. M.S won the seat overall (79,907).
| # | Candidate | Party | Postal votes | EVM votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | THARUN. A.K | DMK | 813 | 68,483 | 69,296 |
| 2 | SRI BALAJI SUGUMAR. S | AIADMK | 745 | 75,091 | 75,836 |
| 3 | PALANIVEL. M.S | TVK | 372 | 79,535 | 79,907 |
| 4 | RAJESHKUMAR. S | NTK | 79 | 6,741 | 6,820 |
| 5 | NOTA | NOTA | 9 | 585 | 594 |
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 Veerapandi
Veerapandi is a peri-urban constituency on Salem's southern flank, taking in Veerapandi town panchayat, Ayothiyapattanam and the textile and rice-mill belt running toward Namakkal. The seat hosts the Salem steel plant's residential side and the Periyar Nagar industrial cluster. Around 2.34 lakh voters polled in 2026. Politically Veerapandi has leaned AIADMK across three straight cycles, with DMK pushing close, and TVK's flip in 2026 is the seat's first break from AIADMK control since 2006 when DMK's A. Rajendran won by just 1,638 votes. Local issues include steel plant ancillary work, sago factory effluent and town panchayat upgrade demands.
Plan a Veerapandi trip
Drive past the Salem Steel Plant gates at Pottaneri for an industrial sense of the constituency, then visit Ayothiyapattanam's old Ranganathar temple. Kolli hills are within a 90-minute drive via Namakkal for a longer add-on.
Plan your trip on TN Explorer →