Tamil Nadu bypoll results: TVK leads in Madurantakam and Dharapuram as DMK trails

The newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has taken an early lead in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly by-elections in Tamil Nadu, leaving the ruling DMK trailing in the initial rounds of counting.

Counting began at 8 am on Friday, 9 October 2026, under a strict three-tier security system. Official sources said that postal ballots were processed first, followed by votes recorded through Electronic Voting Machines. These by-elections are being closely watched as a test of the TVK's popularity since the party took office in May, while the opposition AIADMK is fighting to win back the ground it lost in the April assembly elections.

TVK leads in early Tamil Nadu counting

In Madurantakam, where voter turnout reached 86.26 per cent, the TVK has established an early margin. A similar trend is unfolding in Dharapuram, which recorded 80.30 per cent turnout.

The counting is being conducted at the Integrated Social Development Training Centre at Aathur for Madurantakam, and the LRG Government Arts and Science College in Tiruppur district for Dharapuram.

Complaints and controversies before the vote

The build-up to the Dharapuram count was marked by political friction. On 6 October, the DMK lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India against TVK candidate P. Sathyabama. The DMK accused her of violating the Model Code of Conduct and failing to disclose campaign expenses, pointing to a viral video as evidence.

How bypolls are shaping up in West Bengal and Assam

The Tamil Nadu contests are part of a wider set of by-elections across India, with counting also underway for assembly seats in West Bengal and Puducherry, and a Lok Sabha seat in Assam.

In West Bengal, the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are drawing intense scrutiny as the first major test of public opinion since the BJP replaced the Trinamool Congress after 15 years in government. Turnout there was strong, with Nandigram recording 80.89 per cent and Rejinagar 80.08 per cent, according to the Election Commission.

The days leading up to the Bengal count were highly charged. In Rejinagar, AJUP chief and Nowda MLA Humayun Kabir was arrested following a confrontation with police during polling. Kabir later broke down in front of reporters, hinting at an early retirement from politics and predicting a BJP victory in the Muslim-majority seat.

Meanwhile, in Assam, counting is underway for the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat, where roughly 76 per cent of the 19.05 lakh registered voters cast ballots. The by-election was triggered after Pradyut Bordoloi, who won the seat for Congress in 2024, resigned to contest the Dispur assembly seat on a BJP ticket.