Kalapet election results 2026: DMK’s Senthil Ramesh defeats BJP’s P M L Kalyanasundaram by 447 votes

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Senthil Ramesh won from Kalapet constituency in Puducherry, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party’s P M L Kalyanasundaram by a margin of 447 votes.

Kalapet constituency battle was defined by the incumbent PML Kalyanasundaram, who led the BJP (NDA) charge, seeking to solidify the seat as a saffron stronghold after his 2021 comeback. The DMK (SPA) countered by fielding A Senthil Ramesh, aiming to capitalise on the constituency’s industrial and educational demographics to flip the seat back to the alliance. Meanwhile, the entry of D Sasikumar from the TVK introduced a significant "wildcard" factor, as he focused his campaign on the youth of Pondicherry University and the local fishing community.

Kalapet, a coastal constituency in northern Puducherry, is defined by its diverse mix of fishing communities, major educational institutions like Pondicherry University, and a growing industrial presence.

The seat has been a theatre for shifting political control; in 2021, PML Kalyanasundaram (BJP) won with a 3,508-vote margin, unseating the influence of MOHF Shahjahan (Congress), who had won the seat in 2016. Kalyanasundaram’s victory marked a return to power in a constituency he first captured in 2011.

The 2026 elections, held on April 9, saw an extraordinary surge in voter participation, reaching a turnout of 91.14% as compared to 85.87% of the 2021polls.

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.
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