TRICHY: AIADMK's Leema Rose Martin, wife of lottery baron Santiago Martin and the richest candidate in the Tamil Nadu assembly election 2026, is maintaining a solid lead in the closely fought three-cornered contest in the Lalgudi constituency.
Election Results 2026
Vijay's TVK party has emerged as a formidable force in Tamil Nadu, pushing DMK and AIADMK to the margins in several constituencies. Meanwhile, in West Bengal, BJP may oust Mamata Banerjee, while retaining Assam.
Leema Rose's Lead
Even as several incumbent DMK ministers, former AIADMK ministers, and star candidates are losing their safe seats and strongholds, Leema Rose, with declared net assets of Rs 1,049.5 crore as per her poll nomination papers, is maintaining a substantial lead in all rounds of vote counting on Monday. Her total assets include movable assets of Rs 139.6 crore and immovable assets of Rs 909.9 crore.
At the end of round nine, Leema secured 29,117 votes. Her closest rival is former AIADMK minister and now TVK candidate Ku Pa Krishnan, who secured 25,153 votes. DMK's T Parivallal is in third place with 23,838 votes.
Trichy District Trends
In Trichy district, out of nine assembly segments, TVK candidates, including party leader actor Vijay contesting in Trichy East, are leading in six constituencies. DMK's incumbent MLAs, including minister KN Nehru and S Kathiravan, lead in Trichy West and Manachanallur respectively. Leema Rose is the only AIADMK candidate maintaining a lead in any of the nine constituencies.
Overcoming Negative Propaganda
Despite negative propaganda by DMK that labelled Leema, a resident of Coimbatore, as an outsider and alleged that she amassed her wealth through lottery sales, she has managed to bag the Lalgudi constituency, which is the native seat of two DMK ministers, Nehru and Anbil Mahesh. AIADMK sources attribute her success to the impact of her last-mile campaign, which struck a chord with rural women voters. Leema's promises to help self-help group (SHG) women and develop sports infrastructure for rural youths were well received by Lalgudi voters.
DMK's Backlash
DMK's decision to drop four-time MLA A Soundara Pandian has backfired for the party, contributing to their loss in the constituency.
Follow the latest election results 2026, live updates, winner lists, constituency-wise results, party-wise trends, and full coverage for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry elections on Times of India.
