Vandavasi election results 2026: DMK's Ambethkumar S wins against AIADMK's Rani P

DMK's Ambethkumar S emerges victorious, securing 63805 votes against AIADMK's Rani P, by a margin of 3333 votes.The Vandavasi constituency witnessed a decisive battle in the 2026 Assembly elections. The DMK re-nominated incumbent S Ambethkumar, leveraging his strong local presence for a third term. He faced P Rani of the AIADMK, who aimed to reclaim the seat for her party. The contest was further energised by M Udhayakumar of the TVK and R Ganesh of the NTK, focusing on rural development and local employment for the Scheduled Caste community. In the 2021 election, S Ambethkumar (DMK) secured victory with 102,064 votes (55.41% vote share), defeating S Murali (PMK) by a margin of 35,953 votes. In the 2016 election, S Ambethkumar won with 80,206 votes (44.8% vote share), defeating AIADMK candidate V Meganathan by 18,068 votes. Voter turnout reached 88.63%, a significant climb from the 80.7% in 2021. This hike is largely due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, which improved roll accuracy and mobilised first-time voters and agricultural workers. Vandavasi (Assembly constituency No. 69) is a reserved (SC) segment in Tiruvannamalai district. Primarily agrarian, it remains a critical barometer for political sentiment among Dalit communities in northern Tamil Nadu. The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 23, recording a high voter turnout of 85.15%, with results declared on May 4. The polls witnessed an intense three-way contest that challenged the state’s traditional bipolar political structure. The electoral battle was primarily between the DMK-led alliance, including the INC and other parties, headed by MK Stalin and the AIADMK-led alliance, headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami, along with the BJP and other parties. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), marking actor Vijay’s political debut as a third force across all 234 constituencies.