Elections 98

State:	Tamil Nadu
Constituency:	Nilgiris
Total Votes Polled:	718202
Winner: BJP	Mathan M. Alias Master Mathan M.	322818
Runner Up: TMC(M)	Balasubramoniyan S.R.	262433
Margin: 60385 (19%)

Elections 96

State:	Tamilnadu
Constituency:	Nilgiris
Total Votes Polled:	796437
Winner: TMC(M)	Balasubramaniyan S R	475515
Runner Up: INC	R Prabhu	194139
Margin: 281376 (37.22%)

From 1980 Congressman and former minister R Prabhu had won the election four consecutive times, till 1991. In 1996, he was pitted against his former colleague S R Balasubramanian, who was fighting on the TMC ticket. The latter won, by 179,000 votes.