Tamil Nadu by‑polls: voting begins in Madurantakam and Dharapuram as TVK faces test amid election‑form row

Voting begins in Tamil Nadu by‑polls

At 7 a.m. on Tuesday the Election Commission started polling in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu. The two seats, vacated after AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama resigned and joined chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), are counted on October 9.

TVK’s first major test

TVK has fielded the two former AIADMK legislators, while the DMK, AIADMK and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have also nominated candidates. Madurantakam sees twenty‑seven contestants; Dharapuram, thirty, according to the Times of India.

The DMK’s Madurantakam candidate I Paranthamen alleged “horse‑trading” by TVK and demanded action against Vijay. Former DMK minister V Senthilbalaji claimed that saris and lamps were being handed out to voters in Dharapuram. TVK denied the accusations, filed a complaint with the Election Commission and sought Paranthamen’s disqualification for allegedly campaigning during the silent period.

Form 6 row and opposition protests

At the same time, a separate controversy is roiling the national election landscape. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar illegally altered Form 6, the document used for new voter registrations. The Election Commission rejected the claim, saying the form itself was unchanged and that an additional declaration linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process had judicial approval. The Supreme Court later clarified it had not approved any modified Form 6 and asked for records of who authorised the change.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Gandhi of “misquoting” the apex court and warned that the opposition leader would have to apologise before the court. Meanwhile, parties in the INDIA bloc announced a “Save Democracy” march from Parliament to the Election Commission’s office, demanding the CEC’s removal. The Aam Aadmi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chose not to join the protest.

Women, rural voters and security

Both Tamil Nadu constituencies are predominantly rural, and women make up the bulk of new enrolments after the SIR update. The combined electorate grew by 2,103 voters over the past five months, roughly 1,000 new voters in each seat, according to DTNext.

Security arrangements are extensive. Madurantakam has more than 2,600 police personnel and 480 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) members on duty; Dharapuram has 1,450 election staff and 18 polling stations classified as vulnerable. The state government also ordered a paid holiday for eligible workers on polling day, with penalties for employers who ignore the directive.

What’s at stake?

The by‑polls are seen as a litmus test for TVK’s nascent government and for the BJP’s broader ambitions in the south, while the Form 6 dispute underscores growing mistrust between the Election Commission and opposition parties. Results, due on October 9, will indicate whether Vijay’s party can retain the seats it inherited and how the controversies may shape voter sentiment ahead of the next general election.