States » SouthPosted at: Oct 16 2026 7:44PM


TN to witness another round of Assembly bypolls: TVK aims to retain winning streak, Oppn DMK to retrieve lost ground

By MC Rajan
Chennai, Oct 16 (UNI) Another round of Assembly bypolls are on the political horizon in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling TVK of Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, buoyed by winning the two seats, intent on continuing the streak, while the principal opposition DMK, aims to retrieve lost ground.
The impending bypoll for five constituencies assumes greater significance, since one among them is Trichy (East), vacated by Vijay, who had retained Perambur in Chennai. The other two are Karur and Viralimalai, held by AIADMK strongmen, M R Vijayabhaskar and C Vijayabhaskar, both former Ministers who switched to the TVK after resigning their MLA posts, inviting the opposition’s derision of horse trading. Th other two seats are Perunthurai and Ambasamudram, also vacated by AIADMK rebels now with TVK.
Only on October 9, the results of the bypoll for Madurantakam and Dharapuram were declared, and the TVK won both by re-nominating Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama, who started the exodus of MLAs from AIADMK to the TVK.
With this, the TVK had increased its tally to 109 in the 234-member House. But Vijay, heading a minority government with the support of Congress, VCK and IUML, which are constituents in the ministry, as well as outside support from the CPI(M) and CPI, is conscious of securing a majority, while hoping to reap electoral benefits through the phased bypoll.
Earlier, last week, the Madras High Court dismissed petitions challenging the Speaker’s decision to accept the resignations of the two AIADMK legislators and notify Karur and Viralimalai as vacant, paving the way for the Election Commission to hold the bypoll to these constituencies. Now, there is no hurdle for the EC to go ahead with the election process.
The bypoll for Perundurai and Ambasamudram are also awaited as the legislators of both have quit and entered the TVK bandwagon. In all five seats are slated to witness bypolls and the ECI was awaiting court orders in view of pending poll cases. The Court has reserved its orders.
Though the TVK had won both the seats in the bypoll, Vijay had to sweat it out by undertaking an intensive campaign. The victory margin too was not heartening to the TVK. More importantly, the DMK, expected to come third, increased its vote share and came second in both, with a return of minority voters to its kitty, indicating a change in political dynamics on the ground.
Despite the claim of a landslide victory during the campaign by the TVK leaders, the low margin of victory has given rise to a perception that Vijay’s charisma and political aura are taking a hit.
According to observers, Vijay, who had not campaigned much during the assembly election, had undertaken long roadshows in the rural areas of both Madurantagam and Dharapuram, and could be expected to be on the ground in the coming round of the bypoll out of political necessity rather than being cocooned in his comfort zone.
And the ensuing bypolls will be yet another acid test for the 5-month old nascent regime seeking to reap the harvest banking onits achievements.
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Tags: #TN to witness another round of Assembly bypolls: TVK aims to retain winning streak# Oppn DMK to retrieve lost ground
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