Tamil Nadu CM Vijay campaigns hard for two Assembly bypolls after defections from AIADMK

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has spent four days campaigning for two Assembly by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, which vote on October 6. This intense push includes two days of public rallies and two days of roadshows, featuring a 45-kilometre journey across more than 30 villages in Madurantakam. During the April Assembly election that brought him to power, Vijay kept his own campaign appearances limited and let candidates and leaders handle constituency-level efforts.

The Stakes

Both seats were previously held by AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel in Madurantakam and P Sathyabama in Dharapuram, who resigned within weeks of winning in April and crossed over to the ruling TVK. They are now contesting the same seats as TVK candidates. A victory would show that voters have followed these leaders to the ruling party, while a loss could slow down further movement of AIADMK functionaries towards the TVK. A senior TVK leader said the high-profile campaign could yield 50% of the votes.

Opposition and Allegations

The AIADMK is calling Sathyabama a traitor for resigning an elected seat to join the TVK. Former Chief Minister and DMK chief M K Stalin termed the elections the death of democracy and criticised the TVK for forcing another election so soon. Meanwhile, the DMK is contesting largely on its own after allies like Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML moved into Vijay's political orbit, while the CPI and CPI(M) are fighting separately. Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin accused the TVK of distributing cash in Dharapuram using tiffin boxes, and CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam alleged villagers reported the TVK was paying the most money. The TVK firmly denied all cash-for-votes allegations.

Context

By-elections often test the early popularity of a newly formed government and the strength of shifting political alliances in a state. In Tamil Nadu, floor-crossing by elected legislators frequently triggers high-stakes local contests that draw heavy attention from top state leaders. Votes for these two seats will be counted on October 9.