Tamil Nadu Election 2026: In the high-stakes arena of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the age-old adage “every vote counts” shifted from a democratic cliché to a startling reality. In a result that has sent shockwaves through the state’s political establishment, Thalapathy Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) dethroned a heavyweight sitting minister in the Tirupattur constituency of Sivaganga district by the narrowest margin possible: a single vote.
In what is being described as the “Miracle of Tirupattur,” TVK candidate Seenivasa Sethupathy pulled off a giant-killing feat by defeating the incumbent DMK Minister, K.R. Periyakaruppan. The final tally, confirmed after a tense count, stands as a testament to the sheer unpredictability
of this election: Sethupathy received 83,365 votes while his rival Periyakaruppan received 83,364 votes.
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Manikandan Sivanantham, an NRI working in Oman, emerged as the symbolic hero of the TVK’s stunning victory in Tirupattur. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, to express his pride, Manikandan revealed that he travelled over 3,000 km specifically to participate in the democratic process.
His commitment was first seen on April 16, when he shared a post confirming he had booked his flight from Oman with a single-minded goal: to cast his vote for the TVK. In a race decided by just one ballot, his journey has now become a viral testament to the power of a single vote.
Thipattur constituency was won by just one vote for TVK. I’m proud that I travelled all the way from Muscat to India to cast my vote for Thalapathy ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ @vyasa1968 @TVKVijayHQ @actorvijay https://t.co/9wGspXaTMV pic.twitter.com/jBoZmNYFar
— Manikandan Sivanantham (@mkxuv700) May 4, 2026
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Tamil Nadu Election Results
TVK emerged as the single largest party, winning 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. The party secured over 34% vote share, which is by far the highest for a political party formed since 2000. The ruling DMK alliance was decimated to just 59 seats, while AIADMK came third with 47 seats.
Vijay would need the support of smaller parties like Congress, which has 5 seats, Pattali Makkal Katchi (4), Indian Union Muslim League (2), Communist Party of India (2), Communist Party of India (Marxist)(2) to form the government.




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