Chennai, October 6 (Daily Kiran) : Voter turnout for the by-elections in Tamil Nadu’s Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly seats, as well as Puducherry’s Thattanachavadi seat, concluded on Tuesday evening. Polling ended at 6 PM, with a significant number of voters participating throughout the day, although some minor disruptions were reported.
By 3 PM, the Election Commission reported a turnout of 83.86% in Madurantakam and 78.53% in Dharapuram. These figures are preliminary, and final turnout numbers will be released after the polls close.
Election officials noted that voters of various ages began arriving at polling stations early in the day. Long queues of women were observed outside polling booths in both rural and semi-urban areas of Tamil Nadu. Voting was temporarily halted in Thandurai, Madurantakam, after DMK polling agents claimed that a mark next to the TVK candidate’s symbol on the electronic voting machine (EVM) could influence voters. Officials investigated the complaint and resumed voting shortly after.
In Vilvarayanallur, DMK workers accused police of allowing TVK supporters to gather near polling station entrances, which is against election regulations. Minor technical issues with the EVMs and the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) caused delays in mock polls at some booths. Standby engineers rectified these problems, allowing voting to proceed.
Despite these incidents, voting remained peaceful, supported by local police and central armed forces.
These by-elections represent an initial electoral test for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s TVK government, which took office in May. Various parties, including TVK, DMK, AIADMK, left-wing parties, and Naam Tamilar Katchi, are contesting, while PMK has chosen to remain neutral.
In Madurantakam, there are 27 candidates, and 22 candidates are vying for votes in Dharapuram. These seats became vacant following the resignations of AIADMK legislators K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Satyabhama, who joined TVK. TVK has fielded them again in their respective constituencies, while candidates from DMK and AIADMK are also in the race.
In Puducherry, by 5 PM, Thattanachavadi recorded a turnout of 78.83%. Officials expect this number to rise as counting will take place after the polls close. Most booths experienced brisk voting, with police and central forces deployed for security. Special arrangements were made to assist senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
AINR’s candidate Ashok Anand is competing against Congress’s E. Vinayagam and DMK’s K. Sedhu Selvam. This contest is a reflection of the popularity of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s four-month-old NDA government.
After winning both Thattanachavadi and Mangalam seats in April, Rangasamy vacated the Thattanachavadi seat while deciding to retain Mangalam. The counting for all three seats will occur on October 9.
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