CHENNAI – In one of the most dramatic outcomes of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, a single vote proved decisive in unseating a sitting minister, with a voter’s journey from Muscat adding a striking twist to the result.
KR Periyakaruppan, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Co-operatives, lost the Tiruppattur Assembly seat in Sivaganga district by just one vote to Seenivasa Sethupathy R of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
According to final election figures, Sethupathy secured 83,375 votes, edging past the DMK leader by the narrowest possible margin after counting concluded.
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The razor-thin result gained further attention after Manikandan Sivanantham, a voter from the constituency currently based in Muscat, shared that he had travelled to India specifically to cast his vote.
“I’m proud that I travelled all the way from Muscat to India to cast my vote,” he wrote on social media, referencing the one-vote margin and suggesting his ballot may have been among those that ultimately determined the outcome.
While it is not possible to verify which individual vote tipped the balance, the episode has underscored the power of every ballot in a tightly contested election.
The result also marked a symbolic victory for TVK, the party led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, whose electoral debut has reshaped the state’s political landscape, delivering a series of upsets against established players.
