# Tamil Nadu by-election political developments

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/tamil-nadu-by-election-political-developments
> Updated: 2026-09-13T13:00:34.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2.

Political activity is intensifying in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly by-elections, scheduled for October 6. These vacancies in Scheduled Caste-reserved constituencies were created after two AIADMK legislators resigned to join Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

In a significant shift, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] have announced they will contest the elections independently. This marks a departure from their previous support for the TVK government formation in May. The CPI(M) will contest in Madurantakam, while the CPI will field a candidate in Dharapuram, creating a multi-cornered contest against the DMK, the AIADMK-led NDA, and the ruling TVK alliance.

In response to the shifting landscape, the DMK established specialized task forces, led by Udhayanidhi Stalin, to manage voter mobilization. The DMK has nominated I. Paranthamen for Madurantakam and S. Suganya for Dharapuram, while the AIADMK has selected Kanitha Sampath and Bhanumathi, respectively.

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has expressed confidence in a victory, criticizing the TVK government by alleging it gained power through “horse-trading” and social media popularity rather than substantive work. He further accused the ruling party of luring AIADMK members away through financial negotiations. Election results are expected on October 9.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-13: AIADMK leader Palaniswami targets TVK government ahead of Tamil Nadu bypolls

AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami expressed confidence in winning the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls while accusing the TVK government of using horse-trading to gain power.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aiadmk-leader-palaniswami-targets-tvk-government-ahead-of-tamil-nadu-bypolls

### 2026-09-13: Tamil Nadu Left parties to contest October by-elections independently

Left parties in Tamil Nadu will contest the Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections independently, breaking from previous support for the TVK government.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tamil-nadu-political-shifts-ahead-of-madurantakam-and-dharapuram-by-elections

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Cite as: Tamil Nadu by-election political developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/tamil-nadu-by-election-political-developments