Tamil Nadu Bypolls for Two Seats on October 6; Five Others Await Court Verdicts

The Election Commission has scheduled bye-elections for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu for October 6. This will mark the first electoral test for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, which came to power three months ago.

The two seats are among seven currently vacant in the state Assembly. The poll body has not announced elections for the remaining five constituencies — Tiruchi East, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai, Perundurai, and Karur — as election-related cases concerning their returned candidates are still pending in courts. The restriction on holding polls in these five seats has been extended until September 8.

With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect in the two constituencies. The nomination window opens on September 9 and closes on September 16. Scrutiny of papers will take place on September 17, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 19. Counting of votes is scheduled for October 9.

Both vacancies arose after AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) and Sathyabama (Dharapuram) resigned and joined the TVK. The party is expected to field both former legislators from their respective constituencies, though no formal candidate list has been released yet.

The bypoll results are being viewed as a key indicator of the TVK's electoral strength after assuming office. A win in both seats would bolster the government's position amid emerging differences with some alliance partners. The CPI has held protests over price rises, the CPI-M has expressed disagreement on certain issues, and the VCK is pushing for greater weight in policy decisions. The Congress has also cautioned that it might reconsider its participation in the Ministry unless Rahul Gandhi is accepted as the alliance's Prime Ministerial candidate.

Opposition parties, including the DMK, AIADMK, and BJP, are preparing campaign strategies to defeat the TVK in these constituencies. For the AIADMK, the contests carry symbolic weight as both vacancies resulted from the defection of its legislators.

While rules generally require vacancies to be filled within six months, pending litigation has delayed the process in the other five seats. The October verdicts are thus expected to serve as the first public assessment of the TVK administration's performance since it took office.