In a major comeback, the TVK, which was trailing initially in Dharapuram, managed to wrest the lead from AIADMK, thereby establishing its dominance in both seats where by-elections were held. In Madurantakam, TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel continued to maintain a lead.
By the time the counting reached round 10 in Dharapuram, TVK’s Sathyabhama had a lead of over 5,000 votes at 27,649. Bhanumathi, the AIADMK candidate, got 23,521 votes, losing her early edge.
As soon as the first round of counting began, TVK’s Sathyabhama raced ahead, but Bhanumati took the lead after the second round. The situation remained the same until the fifth round, when the tables turned in favour of the TVK.
In Madurantakam, however, the TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel continued to maintain a lead while the AIADMK candidate Kanitha Sampath emerged second, with DMK's I Paranthaman coming third.
The counting during the second round was briefly interrupted due to a technical glitch and later resumed.
Vijay magic
While the victory is yet to be declared, the stunning show by the TVK, wresting two seats that were held by the AIADMK in the recently concluded Assembly elections, proves that the Vijay wave has only got stronger in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had extensively campaigned in both constituencies for the elections, tagged by many as a litmus test for the TVK government.
Dharapuram, a key part of the Kongu region, was considered a strong AIADMK stronghold, and Sathyabhama had won it for the party in 2026. However, she resigned from the post to move to the TVK. The ruling party chose her as the candidate in the by-elections, proving her stronghold over her constituency irrespective of the party label.
The Dharapuram results could also come as a blow to AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami, who now faces his party’s loss in its stronghold. The by-election results are seen as a life-or-death struggle for the post of AIADMK General Secretary, Edappadi Palaniswami, and the criticism directed at his leadership.
