Closest Margin Lok Sabha Constituencies

1971 Lok Sabha (Parliament) Election · Top 25 constituencies by margin (votes)

In the 1971 Lok Sabha election, the closest result was in Tiruchendur (Tamil Nadu), where M. S. Sivasamy (Dravida Munetra Kazhagam) won by just 26 votes (0.00% margin). The full ranked list of the top 25 constituencies is below — click any constituency to see its complete candidate-wise result.

Difference in votes between the winner and the runner-up. Smaller = closer race.

View this list for another year: 2024 2019 2014 2009 2004 1999 1998 1996 1991 1989 1984 1980 1977 1971 1967 1962
Rank Constituency State Winner Party Margin (votes)
1 Tiruchendur Tamil Nadu M. S. Sivasamy Dravida Munetra Kazhagam 26 (0.00%)
2 Jhanjharpur Bihar Sardar Swaran Singh Indian National Congress 206 (0.10%)
3 Sangrur Punjab Teja Singh Communist Party Of India 210 (0.10%)
4 Khed Bihar Shivshankar Prasad Yadav Samyukta Socialist Party 548 (0.20%)
5 Gonda Uttar Pradesh Anand Singh Indian National Congress (ORGANISATION) 631 (0.30%)
6 Mandi Bihar Ramdeo Singh Samyukta Socialist Party 1,008 (0.30%)
7 Banswara ST Rajasthan Hiralal Indian National Congress 1,144 (0.40%)
8 Ghatal West Bengal Jagadish Bhattacharyya Communist Party Of India (MARXIST) 1,322 (0.40%)
9 Dadra and Nagar Haveli ST Ramubhai Ravjibhai Patel Indian National Congress 1,346 (5.80%)
10 Mathurapur SC West Bengal Madhurjya Haldar Communist Party Of India (MARXIST) 1,585 (0.40%)
11 Tonk SC Rajasthan Ram Kanwar Swatantra 1,835 (0.70%)
12 Mahendragarh Haryana Birender Singh Vishal Haryana 1,899 (0.50%)
13 Kachchh Gujarat Mahipatray M. Mehta Indian National Congress 1,979 (0.90%)
14 Inner Manipur Manipur N. Tomsi Singh Indian National Congress 2,033 (1.40%)
15 Outer Manipur ST Manipur Paokai Indian National Congress 2,042 (1.70%)
16 Nagpur Maharashtra Jambuwantrao Bapurao Bhote Forward Bloc 2,056 (0.60%)
17 Calcutta North East West Bengal Hiren Mukherjee Communist Party Of India 2,291 (0.80%)
18 Bishnupur SC West Bengal Ajit Kumar Saha Communist Party Of India (MARXIST) 2,460 (0.80%)
19 Kaiserganj Uttar Pradesh Shakuntala Nayar Bhartiya Jan Sangh 2,598 (1.40%)
20 Kolar ST Bihar Nirel Enem Horo Independent 2,814 (1.60%)
21 Bhanjanagar Dutikrishna Panda Communist Party Of India 2,858 (1.10%)
22 Kendrapara Odisha Surendra Mohanty Utkal Congress 2,973 (0.80%)
23 Panaji Goa Kakodkar Purshottam Indian National Congress 3,030 (2.50%)
24 Rajapur Maharashtra Madhu Dandavate Praja Socialist Party 3,194 (1.40%)
25 Udaipur ST Rajasthan Laliya Swatantra 3,404 (1.20%)

Why this list matters

Constituencies with the closest margins are the bellwethers of Indian electoral politics. A seat won by a few hundred or even a few thousand votes is one where a small shift in turnout, alliance arithmetic, or local sentiment can flip the result entirely. These "marginal seats" are where parties concentrate campaign resources, where star candidates are sometimes parachuted in, and where post-result petitions and recounts happen most often.

Click any constituency above to see the full candidate list, vote shares, and historical context.

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