Tamil Nadu bypolls: EPS, Vijay set for campaign blitz in Madurantakam, Dharapuram

Campaigning for the October 6 Assembly by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram will gain momentum next week, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami set to campaign in the two SC-reserved constituencies.

AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami will campaign in an effort to win back the two seats that the party had won in the 2026 Assembly polls before its sitting legislators resigned and joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

The TVK's decision to nominate Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama, who had won the two seats on AIADMK tickets in the 2026 Assembly polls, to contest on the TVK's "whistle" symbol has made the defections a key issue in the bypoll campaign.

Both seats fell vacant after former AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam) and P Sathyabama (Dharapuram), who had won on the "Two Leaves" symbol in the 2026 Assembly polls, resigned less than a month after their victories to join the TVK.

Palaniswami to campaign for AIADMK nominees

While Palaniswami would campaign for three days each in the two constituencies, Vijay is planning to campaign for the party candidates soon, party sources said.

Palaniswami would rally support for his party's nominees S Kanitha Sampath in Madurantakam and K Banumathi in Dharapuram.

The AIADMK campaign is expected to centre heavily on accusing the turncoat candidates of betraying the public mandate.

Vijay is slated to campaign for the TVK nominees. The dates for his campaign are expected to be announced shortly by the TVK leadership.

Five-way contest in both constituencies

The presence of DMK's I Paranthaman and S Suganya, Naam Tamilar Katchi candidates K Janaki Raman and M Karthika, and Left candidates P Suganthi of the CPI(M) in Madurantakam and P Lakshmanan of the CPI in Dharapuram makes it a five-way contest in the two constituencies on October 6.

Suganthi began her political career through the literacy movement and is currently a member of the CPI(M) Tamil Nadu State Committee and general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TUNEF). She also served as the state general secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) from 2011 to 2021.

The Left parties had earlier announced their decision to contest the by-elections separately, highlighting the need for representatives who would raise people's issues in the Assembly.

PMK to stay out of bypolls

In a setback to the AIADMK, its ally the PMK has announced that it would not support any party in the bypolls.

Palaniswami will campaign in Madurantakam on September 24, 25 and October 3, and in Dharapuram on September 27, 28 and October 2. The party has named 40 star campaigners to garner support for its candidates, leaving out senior legislators S P Velumani, P Thangamani and C Ve Shanmugam, who had indulged in cross-voting favouring the ruling TVK during the floor test on May 13.

With political leaders gearing up for high-decibel rallies, the electorate in both reserved constituencies will cast their ballots on October 6 in a contest that is expected to test whether voters reward political realignment or penalise party defections.