Kamal Ghorui
AIADMK‘s Jayasudha L emerges victorious, securing 76735 votes, against DMK‘s Mahalakshmi Govarthanan, by a margin of 5631 votes.The Arani constituency witnessed a fierce and closely watched contest in the 2026 Assembly elections. The DMK fielded Mahalakshmi Govarthanan, aiming to flip the seat after a narrow miss in the previous cycle. She faced L. Jayasudha of the AIADMK, who campaigned to maintain the party’s ten-year winning streak in this segment. The political landscape was further shaped by A. Venkatesan Kumar of the TVK. In the 2021 election, Sevvoor S. Ramachandran (AIADMK) narrowly secured victory with 102,961 votes (46.86% vote share), defeating S. S. Anbalagan (DMK), who polled 99,833 votes (45.43% vote share), by a slim margin of 3,128 votes. In the 2016 election, Sevvoor S. Ramachandran (AIADMK) won with 94,074 votes (44.89% vote share), defeating DMK’s S. Babu by 7,327 votes. Voter turnout reached 89.23%, a notable increase from 79.59% in 2021. This hike is largely attributed to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive. Arani (Assembly constituency No. 67) is globally renowned as a major hub for silk sari production. Located in the Tiruvannamalai district, its economy is deeply tied to weaving and agriculture. As a general category seat with a highly active electorate, it serves as a vital indicator of the political mood among both the industrial workforce and the rural agrarian population 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.
