States » SouthPosted at: Oct 6 2026 6:08PM


Over 80 pc turnout recorded, TN Assembly bypoll to Madurantakam, Dharapuram ends peacefully

Chennai, Oct 6 (UNI) With over 80 per cent of the total 4.35 lakh electorate casting their ballots sealing the fate of 49 candidates,
polling for the by-elections to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Reserved Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu passed off peacefully on Tuesday evening.
The polling, which began at 0700 hrs in the morning, saw brisk turnout all through the day with enthusiastic voters queuing up at
605 booths to exercise their franchise, ended at 1800 hrs.
The gates of polling booths were shut at 6.00 p.m and those who were standing in the queues would be issued tokens. All of them would be allowed to vote after which the polling process would come to an end. Later, the EVMs, in which the votes were cast, would be sealed and taken to strong rooms, to be guarded with tight security, including deployment of para-military forces. The EVMs would be taken to counting centres on October 9 for counting after which the results would be announced.
After a moderate turnout initially with a mere 15-17 per cent recorded in the first two hours till 0900 hrs, the polling process gained momentum as the percentage kept increasing with every passing hour in both the seats. While 35.55 per cent voting was recorded till 1100 hrs in Madurantakam, while it was 37.28 per cent in Dharapuram. It went up to 55.18 percent and 56.09 per ent at 1300 hrs and the turnout further went up to 70.31 and 68.08 pc at 1500 hrs.
According to the Election Commission of India, the polling percentage was 83.86 and 78.53 at 1700 hrs, when reports last came in, which was marginally short of 87.84 per cent and 86.74 per cent recorded in the April 23 polls.
Taking into account the polling in the last one hour and after all those in queue cast their votes after 1800 hrs, the turnout was expected to cross the 90 per cent mark and 80-85 per cent respectively. The final polling percentage would be known tonight after compiling of data from all the 605 booths--285 in Madurantakam and 320 in Dharapuram. The turnout recorded in April was 93.22 per cent in Madurantakam and 89.89 per cent n Dharapuram.
The bypoll which is witnessing a tough five-cornered contest is seen as a referendum for the the nearly five-month-old nascent TVK government headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay.
Of the total 4.35 lakh voters -- 2.13 lakh in Madurantakam and 2.23 lakh in Dharapuram -- xxx per cent turned out to seal the fate of
49 candidates(32 men, 17 women) in the two seats which fell vacant following the resignation of Rebel AIADMK MLAs leading to the bypolls. While 27 candidates contested in Madurantakam (15 men, 12 women), a total of 22 candidates were in the fray in Dharapuram (17 men, 5 women).
Those candidates whose fate were sealed in the EVMs included the ruling TVK, which had expectedly fielded turncoats K.Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) and P.Sathyabama (Dharapuram) -- amid criticisms from the opposition parties and the supporting Left parties -- who had held the seat before they relinquished their posrts, quit the AIADMK and joined the TVK.
Apart from Maragatham Kumaravel, DMK's I.Paranthaman, former MLA Ms.Kanitha Sampath of AIADMK, Ms.P.Suganthi of CPI-M and Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK)'s K,Janakiraman were in the fray in Madurantakam, while Sathyabama (TVK), Ms.S.Suganya (DMK), AIADMK's Ms.K.Bhanumathi, P.Lakshmanan of CPI and NTK's M.Karthika were the main candidates in Dharapuram.
(ED : PICK UP SUITABLY FROM MS 4).
UNI GV 1800
Tags: #Over 80 pc turnout recorded# TN Assembly bypoll to Madurantakam# Dharapuram ends peacefully
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