Kadirgamam election results 2026: Independent candidate Azhaganantham wins defeats AINRC’s S Ramesh by 7,004 votes

Independent candidate Azhaganantham won from Kadirgamam constituency in Puducherry, defeating All India NR Congress’s S Ramesh by a margin of 7,004 votes.Kadirgaman constituency saw the AINRC attempt to defend its "fortress" against a revitalised opposition and an aggressive new challenger. The incumbent S Ramesh (AINRC), who secured a massive mandate in 2021, once again spearheaded the NDA campaign to maintain the party's long-standing grip on the seat. Challenging this dominance was P Vadivel of the DMK, nominated to represent the SPA in a bid to flip the urban constituency. However, the entry of Jayanthi Rajavelu from the TVK introduced a fresh variable, as she campaigned heavily to capture the youth and women's vote. Kadirkamam, one of the key assembly constituencies in Puducherry, is an urban seat located in the northern part of the UT, known for its dense residential areas, government establishments, and proximity to major administrative centres. Considered an AINRC fortress, the constituency saw S Ramesh secure a commanding victory in the 2021 assembly elections by defeating P Selvanadane by a margin of 12,246 votes, marking one of the largest winning margins in that election. In the 2016 assembly elections, NS Jayabal had won the seat, following an earlier victory by N Rangasamy in 2011, reflecting the party’s sustained dominance in the constituency. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 78.04% in 2021, which rose sharply to around 88.75% in the latest polls, indicating heightened electoral participation.The 2026 Puducherry assembly elections took place on April 9, recording a historic voter turnout of 91.23%, with results declared on May 4. The contest shifted from a traditional two-way battle into a high-stakes three-way struggle between the ruling NDA (led by the AINRC and BJP), the SPA (anchored by the Congress and DMK), and the newly formed TVK–NMK alliance headed by actor-politician Vijay.