AIADMK has entered the fray with the determination to win both constituencies where by-elections have been announced, Madurantakam and Dharapuram.
Reports have also emerged that General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami has instructed AIADMK functionaries that “we should not give up the constituencies we have won.”
In the 2026 Assembly election, after the TVK formed the government, AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel of Madurantakam, Sathya Bama of Dharapuram, M.R. Vijayabaskar of Karur, C. Vijayabaskar of Viralimalai, Isakki Subbiah of Ambasamudram, and Jayakumar of Perundurai resigned.
Chief Minister Vijay, who won in two constituencies, resigned from the Tiruchi East constituency. In this situation, the Election Commission declared 7 constituencies vacant. Now, by contrast, by-election notifications have been announced for only 2 constituencies.
Accordingly, the by-election will be held on October 6. While the election notification was issued yesterday, today the AIADMK leadership has released an announcement inviting applications to contest in the two constituencies.
What is the background behind the AIADMK leadership preparing so quickly for the by-election? We spoke to sources in the MGR Mansion circle..,
“Even when the A.D.M.K. split into two and a few people went to T.V.K., making the party look chaotic, Edappadi Palaniswami calmly said that if by-elections were held in Dharapuram and Perundurai, we would easily win.
Not only that, he was confident that if we won the by-election, those who were thinking of leaving the party would not leave, and those who had already left would come back.
At the recently held district secretaries’ meeting too, he said that all six constituencies — Madurantakam, Perundurai, Dharapuram, Ambasamudram, Karur, and Viralimalai — belong to the A.I.A.D.M.K.
Even with such a huge Vijay wave and the DMK pouring in money, we were the ones who won. We must defeat all six people who betrayed our party and left,” said Edappadi Palaniswami angrily.
He is also taking secret surveys on the matter and moving his pieces accordingly. Not only that, he has also finalized 90 percent of the candidates who will contest,” and when asked who the candidates would be for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies,
“In Madurantakam, Kanitha Sampath, who has already contested and won from this constituency, is there. He was an MLA twice and lost his chance of victory when he contested in Cheyyur in 2021.
He was not given a ticket last time. Since he is a well-known person in the party, there is an idea that he may be given one.
Similarly, Rajya Sabha MP Danapal’s wife Gayathri is on the list. Danapal is determined to somehow secure a ticket for his wife.
When Edappadi Palaniswami was holding district-wise meetings at the party headquarters, Danapal, who came with his wife, said firmly that he would definitely get a ticket.
Not only that, Gayathri is also someone who can work enthusiastically for the party. So her chances of getting a ticket are quite high.
Similarly, in the Dharapuram constituency, if it is not Punk Mahesh, then there is a chance that one of the two, Bhanumathi, may contest as the candidate,'' they say.