Lawspet election results 2026: AINRC’s V P Sivakolundhu defeats Congress’s M Vaithianathan by 1,417 votes

All India NR Congress’s V P Sivakolundhu won from Lawspet constituency in Puducherry, defeating Congress’s M Vaithianathan by a margin of 1,417 votes.Lawspet constituency turned into a premier urban battleground, characterised by a dramatic shift in allegiances. The race featured a high-stakes encounter between former associates: the sitting member M Vaithianathan, running for the Congress (SPA), and his predecessor VP Sivakolundhu, who carried the AINRC (NDA) banner. The entry of V Saminathan, a former Puducherry BJP president now spearheading the TVK campaign, transformed the contest into a volatile three-way struggle. Lawspet, a prime urban constituency in northern Puducherry, is recognised for its highly literate voter base, key educational institutions, and dense residential neighbourhoods. The seat has historically been a centrepiece of political shifts; in the 2021 assembly elections, Vaithianathan secured a commanding victory by defeating Saminathan by a margin of 5,701 votes. This was a reversal of the 2016 outcome, in which Sivakolundhu, then a Congress leader, won by 6,449 votes in the race with Vaithianathan who contested as an Independent candidate. The constituency has consistently demonstrated strong civic engagement, with the 2021 polls recording a turnout of 82.6%, which soared to 88% for this year’s election.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.