The by-elections in Tamil Nadu’s Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies resulted in wins for the TVK candidates, marking the first electoral victory of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s government formed four months ago. The results reinforce the ruling party’s position amid a challenging political landscape.
By-Election Outcomes Strengthen Vijay’s Government
TVK candidates K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama triumphed in the Madurantakam (SC) and Dharapuram (SC) constituencies, respectively, in by-polls held on 6 October. Both had previously won these seats as AIADMK candidates in the April Assembly elections but resigned and switched allegiance to TVK.
Sathyabama won Dharapuram by a margin of 9,471 votes, securing 66,841 votes compared to DMK’s S. Suganya’s 57,370. The AIADMK candidate, K. Banumathi, finished third with 44,874 votes. In Madurantakam, Kumaravel defeated DMK’s I. Paranthamen by 20,040 votes, earning 74,048 votes while Paranthamen received 54,008. AIADMK’s S. Kanithasampath came third with 47,450 votes.
Expressing gratitude after the result, Vijay said on X that the TVK won “without spending a single paisa on votes.” He described the victory as a stand against defamatory remarks targeting women, personal attacks, and alleged betrayal by some leaders and cadres.
Background and Significance of Victories
The win boosts Vijay’s government, which initially fell short of a simple majority in April by winning 108 seats against the 118 mark. TVK had been relying on support from allies such as Congress, VCK, IUML, CPI, CPI(M), and defectors from the AIADMK to govern.
The by-election victories are seen as confirming continued support for TVK amid criticisms including allegations of horse-trading and reversal on policies. Both Kumaravel, now TVK’s deputy general secretary, and Sathyabama, district secretary of Tiruppur South-East, retained their seats under the TVK banner after resigning from the AIADMK and the Assembly earlier this year.
Contest Details and Political Impact
Both constituencies, reserved for Scheduled Castes, featured multi-cornered contests with candidates from DMK, AIADMK, Naam Tamilar Katchi, and Left parties also participating. The TVK’s secular alliance included Congress, VCK, MDMK, and IUML.
Political analyst A Ramasamy highlighted that TVK could attract traditional AIADMK voters in two diverse regions, bolstering the party’s confidence ahead of future elections. The AIADMK, despite criticizing defections as betrayal, failed to regain these seats, exposing its declining organizational strength after slipping to third place statewide in April.
Allies’ Contributions and DMK’s Shortcomings
TVK and allies celebrated their efforts. Minister K. A. Sengottaiyan called the results proof of the government’s good governance. Congress leader and higher education minister P. Viswanathan credited the alliance’s persistent campaigning, especially in Madurantakam.
Conversely, the DMK failed to capitalize on the bypolls despite criticising the vacancies as engineered and alleging inducements. DMK chief M.K. Stalin accused TVK of voter intimidation by warning of development stagnation if their candidates lost.
Approaching Majority and Voter Trends
The wins bring TVK closer to the majority mark, potentially lowering dependence on allied parties. Analyst Sunil Kumar noted that differences with Left parties may reduce their importance as TVK bolsters its legislative strength.
However, voter turnout dipped to 86.3% in Madurantakam and 80.3% in Dharapuram, down from the April election. This decline was attributed mainly to voter fatigue and the absence of full public holidays on polling days, though turnout remained historically high for by-elections.
Academic Ramu Manivannan observed a shift of AIADMK votes to TVK, but noted that TVK’s victory margin was smaller than anticipated. He also noted that the DMK retained most of its vote share despite alliance changes, indicating some AIADMK voter inclination towards DMK. The TVK’s reputation as a corruption-free party faces challenges amid allegations of vote-buying in the bypoll.
