TIRUCHY: TVK candidate Navalpattu S Viji secured a decisive victory over DMK’s Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in Tiruverumbur, winning by a margin of 8,705 votes and marking a major political comeback after a decade-long rivalry.
Viji polled 89,837 votes, while Anbil Mahesh, the sitting MLA and former School Education Minister, secured 81,132 votes. Viji maintained a lead from the initial rounds of counting and carried it through to the end.
A former DMK functionary and close aide of senior leader KN Nehru, Viji had long aspired to contest from Tiruverumbur. He was reportedly assured the DMK ticket in the 2016 Assembly elections, but the entry of Anbil Mahesh, backed by the party high command, altered the equation. Mahesh was fielded from the constituency and went on to win, with party leaders rallying behind him on the instructions of DMK president MK Stalin.
Following Mahesh’s rise within the party, including his elevation as district secretary, Viji found himself sidelined and subsequently exited the DMK. He stayed away from active politics for a period, focusing on his business while maintaining local outreach.
Ahead of the 2026 elections, Viji was approached by TVK leaders and inducted into the party six months before the polls, with an assurance of a ticket from Tiruverumbur. He mounted an aggressive campaign, including novel outreach efforts featuring imagery of party chief Vijay.
The victory is seen as a significant political turnaround for Viji, ending years of rivalry with Anbil Mahesh and re-establishing his presence in the constituency.