Chennai, October 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, has won both the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls, with party candidates Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama defeating their respective Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rivals.
Maragatham Kumaravel won Madurantakam by 17,554 votes, while Sathyabama secured Dharapuram by a margin of 10,196 votes. The victories strengthen the ruling party’s political position and provide fresh momentum following a closely contested campaign involving the state’s principal political parties.
The DMK finished second in both constituencies, while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidates came third. Ministers described the results as an endorsement of the TVK government’s performance during its first four months in office.
In Madurantakam, Maragatham Kumaravel polled 61,470 votes against 43,916 secured by DMK candidate Paranthaman. AIADMK nominee Ganitha Sampath received 38,770 votes, while Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate Janakiraman secured 1,703 and CPI(M) nominee Sugandhi polled 1,441 votes. A total of 27 candidates contested the seat, with counting completed in 21 rounds.
Of the constituency’s 2,13,788 registered voters, 1,84,413 cast their ballots, recording a turnout of 86.26 per cent.
In Dharapuram, Sathyabama won with 62,596 votes, defeating DMK candidate Sukanya, who received 52,400 votes. AIADMK nominee Bhanumathi finished third with 41,078 votes. Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate Karthika polled 4,954 votes, while CPI candidate Lakshmanan received 1,099 votes.
The constituency had 2,23,306 registered voters, of whom 1,79,314 exercised their franchise, resulting in an 80.30 per cent turnout. Counting was completed in 23 rounds, with 22 candidates in the contest.
The bypolls were necessitated by the resignations of legislators elected on AIADMK tickets who subsequently joined the TVK, leaving the two Assembly seats vacant. The ensuing contests featured the TVK, DMK, AIADMK, Left parties and Naam Tamilar Katchi.
The twin victories give Vijay’s government a political boost and leave the DMK and AIADMK facing questions over their inability to capture either constituency. The results also give the ruling party an opportunity to project the outcome as evidence of continued voter confidence in its administration.
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