Tamil Nadu ADR report: A report by the Association of Democratic Reforms reveals that 220 winning candidates in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election secured less than half of the total votes polled. The average vote share for winners dropped significantly to 38.99% compared to 48.37% in the 2021 elections.
At least 220 winning candidates in the recently-concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly election secured less than 50% of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies, a joint report revealed on Tuesday.
The report, released by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the Tamil Nadu Election Watch (TNEW) on June 2, 2026, analyzed the vote shares and victory margins of the newly elected legislators.
According to the findings, the winners of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election secured victory with an average of 38.99% of the total votes polled. This marks a sharp decline from the 2021 assembly elections, where winners secured an average vote share of 48.37%.
Only 14 victorious candidates managed to secure 50% or more of the total votes polled in their constituencies.
Among the women winners, V. Sathyabama, who received her winning certificate from the Returning Officer in Tiruppur on May 4, 2026, registered the highest vote share in her constituency with 49.88%.
The analysis also highlighted tight contests across the state, noting that a total of 15 winners cleared the finish line with a victory margin of less than 1,000 votes. Conversely, eight winners registered a dominant performance, winning with a margin of over 25%.
