D.M. Kathir Anand, the nominee of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won the election to the Vellore parliamentary constituency by a margin of 8141 votes.

In a reversal of fortunes, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate A.C. Shanmugam, who was leading in the Vellore Lok Sabha seat since morning, was pushed to the second place by the candidate of arch rival DMK later in the afternoon.

Counting of votes for the Vellore Lok Sabha seat of Tamil Nadu began on Friday.

Of the 28 candidates who contested the polls held on August 5, the main contest is between A.C. Shanmugam of the AIADMK and D.M. Kathir Anand of the DMK.

The election to the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency, which was countermanded due to excess use of money power, was held on August 5. Polling for the Lok Sabha seat was originally scheduled for April 18, along with the other constituencies of Tamil Nadu, but was cancelled on April 16 following the recovery of a huge amount of cash allegedly from an associate of a DMK leader.

Here are the latest updates:

3.15 pm

By polling 47.3% votes, DMK's Kathir Anand is poised to win from Vellore constituency. He got 485340 votes, while his rival AIADMK's A.C.Shanmugam polled 477199 votes.

VVPAT verification is underway and the result is expected to be announced by 4 pm.

2.50 pm

At the end of 19th round, DMK's Kathir Anand is leading by 9723 votes. His nearest rival AIADMK's A.C. Shanmugam got 4,67,893 votes, while Mr. Anand managed to poll 4,77,616 votes.

2.05 pm

DMK's lead reduces

Total votes polled: 10,05,365

Kathir Anand (DMK): 4,76,194

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 4,67,006

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 26,320

NOTA: 8,935

(Lead margin: 9,188)

2.00 pm

A.C. Shanmugam trails by 11,582 votes

Total votes polled: 9,78,599

Kathir Anand (DMK): 4,64,877

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 4,53,295

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 25,679

NOTA: 8,935

(Lead margin: 11,582)

1.40 pm

A.C. Shanmugam trails by 10,441 votes

Total votes polled: 9,61,101

Kathir Anand (DMK): 4,56,070

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 4,45,629

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 25,296

(Lead margin: 10,441)

1.15 pm

DMK candidate crosses 4 lakh votes

Total votes polled: 8,49,352

Kathir Anand (DMK): 4,04,044

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 3,93,242

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 22,003

(Lead margin: 10,802)

1.00 pm

DMK's Kathir Anand maintains lead

Total votes polled: 8,13,383

Kathir Anand (DMK): 3,88,280

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 3,75,355

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 21,239

(Lead margin: 12,925)

12.45 pm

AIADMK still in 2nd position

Latest leads:

Total votes polled: 7,58,846

Kathir Anand (DMK): 3,63,863

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 3,48,989

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 19,646

(Lead margin: 14,874)

12.35 pm

With over 47.8% vote, DMK maintains lead

Latest leads:

Total votes polled: 7,11,110

Kathir Anand (DMK): 3,40,473

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 3,27,718 (with 46.09% vote share)

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 18,229

(Lead margin: 12,755)

12.20 pm

DMK's Kathir Anand polls over 3 lakh votes

Latest leads:

Total votes polled: 6,53,692

Kathir Anand (DMK): 3,15,448

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 2,99,368

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 16,454

(Lead margin: 16,080)

12.10 pm

DMK increases lead

Total votes polled: 5,98,838

Kathir Anand (DMK): 2,87,906

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 2,75,748

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 14,761

(margin: 12,158)

11.55 am

Setback to Shanmugam, DMK leads by over 7,000 votes

Total votes polled: 5,53,291

Kathir Anand (DMK): 2,64,140

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 2,56,633

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 13,539

(margin: 7,507)

11.50 am

DMK gets more votes in Vaniyambadi

DMK's Kathir Anand was able to narrow the margin substantially as, in Vaniyambadi, he polled 7,168 votes in the sixth round against AIADMK's Shanmugam’s 1,172 votes.

There are six Assembly segments in the Vellore constituency, of which Mr. Shanmugam was ahead of. Mr Kathir Anand in Gudiyatham and Ambur in all the five rounds. In each round, he led the DMK nominee at least in three constituencies.

11.40 am

DMK's Kathir Anand gives tough fight

Total votes polled: 5,06,877

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 2,40,351

Kathir Anand (DMK): 2,37,189

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 12,560

(margin: 3,162)

11.30 am

Lead candidates' votes cross 2 lakh

Leads:

Total votes polled: 4,48,820

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 2,16,037

Kathir Anand (DMK): 2,07,167

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 10,895

(margin: 8,870)

DMK president M.K. Stalin greeting voters in Vellore. File photo | Photo Credit: C. VENKATACHALAPATHY

11.20 am

Latest trends:

Total votes: 4,11,495

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 198,147

Kathir Anand (DMK): 1,89,851

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 10,046

(margin: 8,296)

11.10 am

AIADMK's A.C. Shanmugam maintains lead over DMK

Total votes: 3,66,193

A.C. Shanmugham (AIADMK): 178,138

Kathir Anand (DMK): 1,66,918

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 8,969

(margin - 11,220)

10.50 am

AIADMK leads by over 14,000 votes

Total votes: 3,01,654

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 1,49,168

Kathir Anand (DMK): 1,34,693

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 7,533

(margin - 14,475)

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami during a campaign event at K.V. Kuppam in Vellore district. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

10.25 am

AIADMK leads by 11,890 votes over DMK

Total votes: 2,11,147

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 1,05,301

Kathir Anand (DMK): 93,411

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 5,041

(margin - 11,890)

10.20 am

21 rounds

According to poll officials, there are 21 rounds of counting. The last three rounds are meant for any constituency having higher number of votes polled than others.

10.10 am

Total votes: 1,72,661

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 85,200

Kathir Anand (DMK): 77,467

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 3,950

(Margin: 7,773)

10.00 am

AIADMK's A.C Shanmugam leads by over 7,000 votes

Total votes 108648

A.C. Shanmugam (AIADMK): 54744

Kathir Anand (DMK): 47670

S. Deepalakshmi (NTK): 2502

(margin - 7,074)

9.30 am

AIADMK candidate leads by slender margin

AIADMK candidate A.C. Shanmugam is leading over his nearly DMK rival Kathir Anand by 913 votes at the end of the first round of counting.

Round 1

Total votes 51646

AIADMK: 25719

DMK: 24806

NTK: 1269

(difference 913 votes)

8.00 am

Counting of votes in 6 assembly segments begins

7.45 am

Over 3,000 postal votes

Strong room where postal votes are stored opened. Postal votes are being counted in a separate hall. According to DEO A. Shanmuga Sundram there are 3,039 postal votes.

Election officials being given briefed on the procedures to be followed during the counting of votes for the Vellore Lok Sabha election at Ranipet Institute of Technology, in Vellore. | Photo Credit: V.M. MANINATHAN

7.30 am

High security at counting centres

Three-tier security arrangements have been put in place at the counting centre in Walajahpet where the EVMs and other election-related equipment used for Vellore Parliamentary elections are stored.

(With inputs from T. Ramakrishnan and T. Madhavan)