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Puducherry LoP, DMK's R Siva, loses Villinaur seat to All India NR Congress' B Ravicoumar
DMK's R Siva is key leader in the Puducherry politics and has represented Orleampeth and Villianur.
Results for the key Villinaur seat in Puducherry have been declared with a big upset for Leader of the Opposition and senior DMK leader R. Siva as he lost to All India NR Congress's B Ravicoumar with a margin of 1970 votes, as per the Election Commission data.
Siva serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly and represented the Villianur constituency. Track updates on Puducherry results
Background
R. Siva was born in 1967 in Puducherry and entered politics through the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), gradually emerging as one of its prominent leaders in the Union Territory. His political career began in the mid-1990s when he was first elected to the Puducherry Legislative Assembly in 1996 from the Orleampeth constituency. He retained this seat and served continuously until 2011, establishing himself as a long-term MLA with strong organisational presence in Puducherry politics. Follow latest updates on Tamil Nadu election results
After a gap from the Assembly, he returned in the 2016 elections, again representing Orleampeth. His continued electoral success reflected his sustained influence in urban Puducherry constituencies. In addition to his legislative role, he has also been closely associated with strengthening DMK’s organisational structure in the Union Territory. Over time, he emerged as a key party strategist and frontline leader.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, he shifted to the Villianur constituency and won again, marking another successful electoral return. Following this victory, he was appointed as the Leader of Opposition in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly on 8 May 2021. He also became the Secretary of the DMK Puducherry unit, further consolidating his leadership role in the party.
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About the constituency
The Villianur Assembly Constituency is a legislative assembly constituency in the Union Territory of Puducherry. It is constituency number 5 and forms part of the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat. Established in 1964, it has around 42,329 registered electors .
What happened in the previous elections?
In the 2011 Puducherry Legislative Assembly election, A. Namassivayam (Indian National Congress) won the Villianur seat, beginning a phase of Congress dominance in the constituency.
In the 2016 election, he again retained the seat for Congress, winning with a strong vote share and continuing his representation of the constituency.
In the 2021 Assembly election, the seat shifted to R. Siva, who contested as a DMK candidate and defeated the incumbent A. Namassivayam. His victory marked a major political shift in Villianur, bringing the constituency under DMK representation after years of Congress control.
