Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Oct 9: The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls, with Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama defeating their respective DMK rivals, triggering celebrations among party workers and giving a political boost to the government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
Maragatham Kumaravel won Madurantakam by a margin of 17,554 votes, while Sathyabama secured Dharapuram by 10,196 votes. The DMK finished second in both constituencies, followed by the AIADMK.
Ministers described the twin victories as an endorsement of the TVK government's performance during its first four months in office.
The results provide fresh political momentum for the TVK following a keenly contested campaign involving the state's principal political parties.
In Madurantakam, Maragatham Kumaravel polled 61,470 votes against 43,916 secured by DMK candidate Paranthaman. AIADMK nominee Ganitha Sampath finished third with 38,770 votes. Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate Janakiraman received 1,703 votes, while CPI(M) nominee Sugandhi secured 1,441 votes.
A total of 27 candidates contested the seat, with counting completed in 21 rounds.
Of the 2,13,788 registered voters in Madurantakam, 1,84,413 exercised their franchise, recording a turnout of 86.26 per cent. The constituency registered a higher turnout than Dharapuram, where just over four-fifths of the electorate voted.
In Dharapuram, Sathyabama secured 62,596 votes, defeating DMK candidate Sukanya, who polled 52,400 votes. AIADMK nominee Bhanumathi finished third with 41,078 votes. Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate Karthika received 4,954 votes, while CPI nominee Lakshmanan secured 1,099 votes.
A total of 22 candidates contested the Dharapuram seat, with counting conducted over 23 rounds. The constituency recorded a turnout of 80.30 per cent, with 1,79,314 of its 2,23,306 registered voters casting their ballots.
The bypolls were necessitated after the legislators elected on AIADMK tickets resigned from the Assembly and joined the TVK, leaving the two constituencies vacant.
The campaign witnessed a five-cornered contest involving the TVK, DMK, AIADMK, Left parties and Naam Tamilar Katchi, with the results closely watched for their political implications.
TVK workers celebrated as the victories were confirmed. The outcome provides a boost to Vijay's administration, while the DMK and AIADMK face the task of assessing their failure to win either constituency.
Though limited to two seats, the results allow the ruling party to project the victories as a sign of continued voter support for its government.