Chennai, October 6 (Daily Kiran) : Voting in the Tamil Nadu by-elections for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly seats has seen a notable increase in participation. By 1 PM, the voter turnout was recorded at 55.19% in Madurantakam and 56.09% in Dharapuram.
Polling commenced at 7 AM and will continue until 6 PM. These elections are viewed as a critical test for Chief Minister Vijay’s ruling party, the Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), as well as for opposition parties.
Both seats were vacated when AIADMK legislators K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Satyabhama resigned to join TVK. They are now contesting again as candidates for the ruling party.
In Madurantakam, located in Chengalpattu district, there are 213,788 registered voters, including 104,926 men, 108,797 women, and 65 transgender individuals. Voting is taking place at 285 polling stations, with 27 candidates in the fray, 17 of whom are independents.
Key candidates include Maragatham Kumaravel from TVK, S. Kanitha Sampath from AIADMK, I. Paranthamen from DMK, P. Sugandhi from CPI(M), and G. Janakiraman from the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
Election officials have allocated 342 electronic voting machines for Madurantakam, including a 20% reserve.
In Dharapuram, situated in Tiruppur district, there are 223,306 voters, comprising 107,285 men, 116,013 women, and eight transgender voters. The voting is spread across 320 polling stations, with 22 candidates competing. Notable candidates include P. Satyabhama from TVK, K. Bhanumathi from AIADMK, S. Suganya from DMK, P. Lakshmanan from CPI, and M. Kartika from NTK.
Overall, there are 49 candidates contesting in both Tamil Nadu constituencies, drawing significant political attention across the state. Meanwhile, voting is also underway in the Puducherry Thattanchaavadi assembly constituency.
The counting of votes for all three assembly constituencies is scheduled for October 9, with results expected the same day.
Leave a Comment