Tamil Nadu By-Elections See Multi-Party Contest After Nominations Close

Nominations for by-elections to two Tamil Nadu assembly seats closed on September 16, 2026, with scrutiny of papers underway on September 17, setting the stage for a multi-cornered contest in Madurantakam and Dharapuram scheduled for October 6. A total of 48 candidates are in the fray for the Madurantakam constituency, including dummy nominees who are expected to withdraw once official party candidates are validated after scrutiny. The by-elections were necessitated after candidates who won seats for the AIADMK in the April 2026 general elections resigned and joined the ruling TVK party. In Madurantakam, TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel, who was elected twice as an AIADMK MLA, explained her decision to leave the party, citing internal differences over a proposal by one faction to form a government with DMK support. She stated that she and two other MLAs could not accept such an arrangement and joined the TVK to work for the people, not for money or position. The contest features candidates from five major parties. The AIADMK has nominated Kanitha Sampath, a former MLA from Madurantakam, while the DMK has fielded I Paranthaman, an MLA from Egmore in 2021.