TVK functionaries distribute sweets in Vellore to celebrate the party’s lead in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls, on Friday
| Photo Credit: C. Venkatachalapathy
The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) established clear leads in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram reserved Assembly constituencies, where counting of votes is underway for the byelections held on October 6, 2026. The counting of votes began at 8 a.m. on Friday (October 9).
In Madurantakam, at the end of the 15th round of counting, TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel had secured 53,979 votes, ahead of the DMK’s I. Paranthamen, who had polled 38,430 votes. The AIADMK’s S. Kanitha Sampath was in third place with 33,712 votes.
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In Dharapuram, at the end of the 23rd round, the TVK’s P. Sathyabama had secured 66,586 votes, compared with 56,757 votes for the DMK’s S. Suganya and 44,874 votes for the AIADMK’s K. Banumathi.
The bypolls in the two constituencies were necessitated after Ms. Kumaravel and Ms. Sathyabama, who had won the Madurantakam and Dharapuram seats, respectively, as AIADMK candidates in the 2026 Assembly elections, resigned as MLAs and joined the ruling TVK. Held after the TVK came to power in May, the bypolls were seen as a test of the party’s popularity, while the opposition AIADMK sought to win back the seats.
Published – October 09, 2026 03:37 pm IST
