Chennai, Sept 2026 : AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has expressed confidence that his party will win the upcoming Assembly by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, describing both constituencies as traditional strongholds of the AIADMK.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Palaniswami said the AIADMK had secured victories in both constituencies in the 2026 Assembly elections and continued to enjoy a strong grassroots presence. He asserted that voters would once again support the party despite the political changes that have taken place since the state election.
Polling in the two Scheduled Caste-reserved constituencies is scheduled for October 6, while counting of votes will take place on October 9.
The bypolls were necessitated after AIADMK legislators K. Maragatham Kumaravel from Madurantakam and P. Sathyabama from Dharapuram resigned from the Assembly and joined Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The ruling party has now fielded both former AIADMK legislators from their respective constituencies.
TVK is banking on its organisational network, the popularity of Chief Minister Vijay and the support base of its Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance to retain the two seats under its new political banner.
The DMK has nominated Advocate I. Paranthamen, joint secretary of its legal wing, in Madurantakam, while Advocate S. Suganya is its candidate in Dharapuram.
The AIADMK has fielded former legislator Kanitha Sampath from Madurantakam and Bhanumathi, a Tiruppur district women's wing functionary and former local body representative, from Dharapuram.
The twin contests assume considerable significance for Palaniswami and the AIADMK, which has faced defections, internal divisions and questions over the strength of its legislative organisation following its defeat in the 2026 Assembly election.
Six AIADMK legislators have resigned or broken ranks since the election, strengthening the position of the ruling TVK and increasing pressure on the opposition leadership. A victory in both constituencies would provide a significant boost to Palaniswami and help the AIADMK demonstrate that its organisational structure and grassroots support remain intact despite the defections.
Palaniswami also criticised the state government over power cuts across Tamil Nadu. Referring to Chief Minister Vijay's visit to London to attract industrial investment, he said the Chief Minister should disclose complete details of the investment initiatives after returning to Chennai.
On the power situation, Palaniswami alleged that unannounced outages were causing serious difficulties for residents, particularly at night. He said power disruptions were exposing families to mosquito bites and affecting students' studies.
The AIADMK leader argued that the government should ensure uninterrupted power supply instead of allowing frequent outages to affect households, students and businesses. He urged the administration to take immediate corrective measures and address the grievances of consumers across the state.
